Conversations With Wolves
by TassanaBurrfoot
Summary: Set after the defeat of Naraku. Spoilers! Goes along with the Final Act! Kagome stops by a local coffee shop and meets a particular character she never expected to see in her own time. Now she has a date with him. Will she be able to keep her heart in check?
1. Part 1

Conversations with Wolves

By: Tassana Burrfoot

Kagome sat on the stool in the little café and patiently waited for her cappuccino. It was a nice place: decorated in a very American style. There were stools, like hers, lined up against a bar and a couch by the fireplace. Small tables and chairs were spread throughout the establishment and were just large enough to have one or two people sitting at them. Modern pop culture art decorated the walls, giving it a very modern feel.

She sighed. Had it really been almost two years since she had been in the Feudal Era? She remembered the final battle like it had been yesterday. After so long, Naraku was finally defeated.

She missed her friends from that age, especially Inuyasha. She shook her head. She could not think about him. She had to focus on her studies.

The door to the café opened and the little bell atop it rang. Someone new had entered the place. Kagome did not bother to look at the stranger as he walked up to the counter.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked her and she shook her head no.

She heard the scrape of the stool as he moved it and felt the soft breeze as he climbed into the seat. Glancing at him from the corner of her eye, Kagome gave a little gasp and turned to look at him more fully. It couldn't be, could it?

Hearing her gasp, the man glanced at her as well and his blue eyes widened in shock as they met hers. For a moment, they just stared at one another and when he spoke, it was with a strangled voice. "Ka-Kagome?"

"Koga," she whispered, finding her own voice.

He barely looked much older than what he had been the last time she had seen him. He still wore a headband, and his jet black, silky hair was as long as ever. His armor was gone and replaced with a white sleeveless undershirt. He wore blue jeans instead of a brown pelt with a black leather belt and black military boots. A light brown button-up shirt was tied around his waist. A chain hung halfway to his knees from his belt and back pocket. He had kept his furry wristbands.

He furiously shook his head and blinked his eyes a few times. "I've gotta be imagining things," he said as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

Kagome sighed. She had never imagined seeing Koga again, especially not in her own time. "You're not," she told him truthfully. "It really is me. Kagome."

He stared at her for a long moment. Then, as the barista placed Kagome's drink on the counter, Koga asked the question Kagome dreaded to hear, "How is it that you're alive?"

She pondered on what she should tell him. Since she wasn't any good at lying, she knew honesty was best. But how much honesty?

Well, it wasn't like he could hop into the past and tell his former self about her. At the same time, she knew it would probably piss him off when she told him that she could travel between times. Then, she thought of something grand.

"This isn't the best place to talk of some things," she answered as she mentally patted herself on the back for her brilliant idea.

His eyebrows furrowed as he contemplated her answer. "You're right," he agreed.

There was a momentary break in the conversation as Koga gave his order to the barista. When he was done, Kagome asked, "So, how have you been? It's been a while since we've seen each other."

"That's the understatement of the century," he snorted as he turned back to her. "I've been fine, though. Got my pack still. Well, most of 'em anyway."

She nodded. "That's good. Did you ever marry?" she asked him, truly wanting to know.

He gave her a lopsided smirk. "No," he answered. "Why? I told ya before. Wolves mate for life. I'm waitin' for you."

She frowned. She supposed that answer was to be expected, but still. "If you were under the impression I had died, why wouldn't you move on?"

"You should be happy about that, seeing as you're still alive," he pointed out as he clicked his tongue.

But she wasn't. "Koga. It's been years. You can't just…"

"This isn't the place to discuss such things," he cut her off, reminding her. "What are you doing later today?"

"Not much. I finished my exams yesterday. I was supposed to go shopping with a friend, but I don't think I'm going to," she told him.

"Good. You and I can grab a bite to eat at Blue Note and talk about why you're alive. How does 7 tonight sound?" he asked.

"Seven tonight?" she said, almost dumbfounded. "What about your pack?"

He shrugged. "They can deal without me for the night," he told her nonchalant. "It's not like they live with me, anyway."

"What do you mean? I thought the pack were always together," Kagome said as she took a sip of her cappuccino.

"Oh, we live near enough to one another, no doubt," he said. "We have an entire city block to ourselves."

Koga's coffee came and he took a swallow of it. "Most of us have our own places. I live in the heart of the block," he explained.

"You live alone?" she asked, curious.

He just shrugged as he took another pull of his drink. "It's not so bad," he told her. "Sure beats sharing a space with a bunch of mangy mutts. And it's not like I'm completely alone."

She looked at him in confusion as he clarified, "I have a couple of them living at my home."

"Like Ginta and Hakkaku," she guessed.

He shook his head. "Look, I can explain more later," he told her. "Like you, I have secrets that I do not wish to share with the world."

She nodded as she turned back to her drink. She took another sip of it as she thought about the things he said.

The wolf tribe was still together, but they didn't all live together. It seemed as though Koga was happy, but he had never moved on from her. He was still waiting for her to change her mind and let him make her his. It was a bit sad, to say the least.

"So, where do you live? What's your number?" he asked, jostling her out of her thoughts.

"Why?" she questioned, not understanding.

He smirked. "Well, I need to know so I can pick ya up tonight, right? Remember? We have a date."

Her cheeks reddened at those words and she gasped. He was right! But, "I never agreed to a date," she pointed out. "Having dinner with a friend, sure, but could we please not call it a date?"

"Why not?" he asked. "Worried someone might trash it? It's been a very long time since we've seen one another and you've never given me a chance. I thought you were dead, Kagome. Lost to me for the rest of my life."

Kagome sighed. She grabbed a napkin and pulled a pen out of her purse. After writing her address and number on the napkin, she handed it to him.

It must have been hard for him. It's been 500 years since they last seen one another. Well, for her it was just two years. And if he had really held off from moving on for all that time, she could just imagine what he must have gone through. The pain and heartache he must have felt.

He folded the napkin and put it in his pocket before emptying his cup in his mouth. He wiped his mouth with the back of his arm and stood up. "Well, Kagome, I have to get going. I was just on a coffee break and the boys will be upset if I don't return soon. I'll see you tonight at seven."

She inclined her head as she watched him walk out the door. She saw him hop on a motorcycle and listened as it roared to life. Why did it not surprise her that he would drive a motorcycle?

She sighed as she took another sip of her cappuccino. She was really happy to see Koga again. It was good to know that he was still alive after all these years. At the same time, however, she had sort of hoped to never have seen him in this time.

"If you don't mind my asking," the barista interrupted Kagome's train of thought, "who was that hot guy you were talking to just now?"

Kagome's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at the woman. The girl couldn't be older than twenty. She was pretty enough. She was of mixed blood, Kagome could tell. Maybe she had family in the western part of Europe. Her blonde hair was tied in a tight bun and she wore the green polo and black slacks of her job. Her blue eyes were bright and full of innocence and youth.

The priestess suddenly felt very old. "He's a dear friend of mine," Kagome replied.

"Is he single?" the girl asked.

Kagome frowned. She seriously thought about saying he wasn't single. Who did this woman think she was? Instead, she shrugged. "Yeah, he is," she said. "We're supposed to go out tonight, though."

"I could tell he really likes you," the barista said. "I've never seen a guy's eyes light up like that before."

"Yeah, well, if you get any ideas, be careful," Kagome warned. "He may be good looking and all, but he's not exactly easy going or anything."

The barista looked at Kagome curiously. "I wasn't getting any ideas," she told the miko. "I like the rough and tumble type, true, but I wouldn't go after your man."

Kagome gaped. "He's not my man!" she spouted.

The girl shrugged. "From the looks you gave each other, it sure looked like it," she said matter-of-factly. "I swear I was a bit worried you might jump each other's bones right here in the shop."

The priestess shook her head in denial. "We were just happy to see each other, is all. I don't see why you should be so interested anyway. Do you take this sort of interest in all your customers?"

The woman hesitated. Then with a smirk and a wink, she said, "Only when the guy is hot enough to melt a person with a look. Sister, if he had looked at me the way he looked at you, I'd never let him go."


	2. Part 2

Kagome stared at her reflection in the mirror as she brushed her hair. Koga had called her a couple hours ago and asked if she would be interested in seeing a movie after dinner. She did not have the heart to tell him no.

After she returned home from the coffee shop, Kagome thought a nice hot bath would do her some good. She wasn't certain how it would make her feel better and it hadn't. She found herself staring into the well about an hour later. Her hair was dripping from the bath.

She wondered what would happen if she tried jumping into the well. She wasn't surprised when nothing happened.

It wasn't that she didn't want to see Koga. Seeing him again had been… well… interesting. He was almost exactly the way she remembered him, even down to his unrelenting desire to make her his.

What was she going to do? She stared in the mirror, waiting for it to… do something.

She had decided to dress in simple attire. She didn't want Koga thinking he had a chance with her, so she kept it simple. She wore a pink blouse and a black skirt that ended at her knees. She completed the look with stockings and pink pumps. Any makeup she wore matched her complexion and was not meant to make her prettier. She left her hair down.

What was she going to tell him? She remembered the last time they spoke. He had suggested, as always, that she leave Inuyasha and come with him. Did he think she had done that? She loved Inuyasha and had no plans of leaving the hanyou.

But isn't that what she had done? With the Shikon no Tama now gone, Kagome had decided to return to her time and finish her studies. After all, she belonged in her own time, correct? She had even waited patiently for Inuyasha to find her in the modern era. He was a half-demon, so he should still be alive, shouldn't he?

There was a knock at the door and Kagome knew it was Koga. He was early which meant that he must also be eager. She sighed. What was she going to tell him tonight?

She went to the door and answered it. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight before her.

Koga looked absolutely amazing. He still wore his headband, but most of it was hidden by his hair, which hung down and covered his ears. Gone, too, were the furred wristbands. He wore a light blue button up shirt and a pair of black slacks. In place of his wristbands, he had a black Rolex watch on one wrist and an Armani bracelet on the other. On his feet was a pair of black boots.

He gave her a smirk. "You look really nice tonight, Kagome," he complimented. "Ready for our date?"

Although she was flattered by his compliment, her nose wrinkled at his question. "It's not a date," she said uselessly. "And you don't look bad yourself. How were you able to afford Armani and Rolex? And what is that smell?"

His smirk widened. "Do you like it?" he asked. "Between a pretty decent job and immortality, I can afford a lot of things."

She nodded. His cologne was something she hadn't expected and she found that she missed how he had smelled before, though the cologne smelled nice. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"Blue Note*," he replied. "It's a jazz restaurant that serves some really nice meals."

"Oh."

"You ready?"

She nodded and let him lead her out into the evening air. She hesitated when she saw his motorcycle. "Are we riding on that?" she asked skeptically.

He smirked as he went to the bike and took the two helmets off, handing one to her. "City law forbids me to ride without a helmet," he mused. "Guess they ain't used to demons no more."

"Koga," Kagome started as she fiddled with her helmet. At least he gave her a pink helmet.

He took the helmet from her hands and put it on her. "Later I'll have to get ya a better one," he said. "For now, this should fit ya nicely."

She gave the bike a sideways glance. "I'm not so sure about this…"

He saw her nervousness and snorted. "Hey, no worries, babe, you're with me," he said, shoving a thumb at his chest. "You know I won't let nothin' happen to ya."

"I've never ridden a bike before," she commented, still unsettled by the idea.

"You've ridden the mutt," he said with a smirk.

"Koga!" she snapped blushing. She knew what he was implying and she did not like it.

He let out a snort as he climbed onto the bike. "C'mon, Kagome. Seriously. You've ridden on mutt-face's back, right? Well, it'll be the same basic thing," he explained. "The only difference will be that your knees will be hugging the bike instead of me." As an afterthought, he added, "Course, your legs could still hug me if you wanted them to."

She frowned. "If you're going to keep making suggestions like that tonight, I'm not going. You're supposed to be more mature."

He smirked as he nodded. "Of course, babe. You know I'm only joking with you," he commented, trying to ease her fears. "It's been so long since I've seen you, I think I may have reverted to my youth a bit. Can you blame me? You're just as hot now as you were then. It's like you never aged."

The look he flashed her was one mixed with confusion and suspicion. Then, he helped her onto the bike and put on his helmet. As he started the engine, he said, "I hope you're wearing panties. This thing vibrates and as much as I love to smell ya, I don't need my seat getting wet."

Before she could protest, he began driving. She grabbed his shoulders in fright and held her breath. After a few moments, however, she began to relax and even started to enjoy the ride. Koga made no comment about her having her hands on his shoulders and she found she didn't want to let them go. It was easier to relax when she could hold on to him.

Dinner was a lovely affair. She didn't really know what to expect, but Kagome was pleasantly surprised when the live band started playing. She explained to Koga about her trips to the past through the well. She could tell he didn't fully understand, but he seemed fine with it.

"So, it's been only two years since you've seen me?" he asked between his bits of steak.

Kagome wrinkled her nose as a bit of blood ran down his chin. Thankfully, he quickly wiped it with his napkin. She smiled. It was nice to see Koga had table manners.

"Almost two years," she told him.

His eyebrows furrowed as he thought about this fact. "But how is that possible?"

Kagome shrugged as she cut a piece of her fish with the side of her fork. "Inuyasha and I assume it's because I was destined to go there. I'm not really sure how to explain it," she said as she put the fish in her mouth and chewed.

Koga took a large gulp of his kikisui and cut another chunk of steak. "I don't know. Sounds strange to me," he commented before putting the chunk of steak in his mouth.

_So much for table manners_, Kagome thought. It was a pretty large chunk of meat. "Did they even cook that at all?"

He gave her a confused look before swallowing his meat. "I think they cooked it pretty well," he answered. "Much more than how I normally eat it, actually."

The girl shuddered at the thought of raw meat. Koga just laughed, "What did you expect? I'm a wolf. You should see some of the guys. Many of them don't go out to fancy places like this because they require meat to be cooked. Something about food poisoning."

"You don't know what food poisoning is?" she asked incredulously.

"Bah," he grunted. "Of course I do. It just doesn't really apply to me and my wolves. If we could get fresh kills, then it wouldn't ever apply."

"You don't hunt anymore?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Can't," he replied. "All these laws they got up now makes it pretty much impossible for us to hunt."

"I guess Japan's gotten smaller for you, huh?"

"Not smaller," he corrected. "There's just less room in it. Too many humans and civilized areas. I blame those damn Yankees and tourists."

She looked at her plate. "Were you in the war?**"

"Yeah. Hey, you done eatin'?"

Koga paid for their meal and walked her back out into the night. Silently, Kagome fussed at herself for not bringing a jacket. It was a chilly night.

They drove for a while and Kagome realized they weren't going back to the shrine. When she mentioned this to Koga at a stoplight, he chuckled. "You said you wanted to see Ginta and Hakkaku, so I figured I'd take ya to the pack."

Kagome took a deep breath and nodded.

The outside of the wolf pack's homes was deceiving. They seemed run down and overused. When Kagome walked into Koga's home, she realized it was just a front. Of course, it was obvious that the wolves played roughly in the house, but Koga's place was pretty clean. He certainly wasn't lacking in the comfort area.

A large, fluffy couch sat in the living room along with a matching loveseat and chair. Under the black wooden coffee table, there was a rather large bear skin.

"Is that...?"

"Real?" Koga finished, seeing her pointing nervously at the bear rug. "What do you think?"

There was a smirk on his face as he threw his keys in a cup near the door. "Why are you so nervous, Kagome?" he asked, making his way to the kitchen. "You act like you ain't never been around me before."

She started to follow him, but stopped when she got to the bar. It was a nice place, built a bit like an apartment.*** The living area was separated from the kitchen by the bar, which had two black metal stool in front of it. She assumed he preferred the smaller space. Probably didn't think he needed a large area.

She watched as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out two bottles of beer. He went to hand her one, but she shook her head, politely declining the offer.

"Why?" he asked. "You could use it."

"I'm alone with a man in his house," she commented. "Thank you, but I would prefer keeping my wits about me."

He laughed a good, hearty strong laugh. It was a laugh she immediately embedded into her memory. "Worried I'm gonna loosen ya up and have my wicked way with ya?" he questioned with a smirk. He handed her the beer again. "You ain't got nothing to worry about, babe. I'm honorable enough not to take advantage of an inebriated woman, even if she already is _my_ woman."

"I am not your woman, Koga," she argued. "I never have been. I'm with Inuyasha."

"Really?" he challenged. "I don't mean to sound contrary, but it seems to me that you're here with me while mutt-face is off somewhere else."

Her breath caught in her throat and she strangled out. "Where is he? Is he alive still?"

The wolf demon shrugged. "Who knows?" he responded as he took a swallow of his beer. "Who cares? I haven't talked to that ass since last time I saw you. Nearly ran me threw with his sword, that bastard."

Kagome was confused at this. "No, he didn't," she stated.

He shook his head and took another sip of his drink. He walked around the bar and into the living room, plopping unceremoniously onto the couch. "Did ya still wanna see Ginta and Hakkaku?" he asked. "I know they wanna see you. I'm surprised they haven't come over yet. They didn't believe me when I told 'em I had a date with ya."

She walked into the living room and took a seat on the other end of the couch. "Do you think it's a good idea?"

He glanced at her. "I don't see why not," was his reply as he took her arm and pulled her closer to him.

"Koga!" she protested, spilling her beer on her clothes. She managed to get some on his as well.

He said nothing as he placed his beer on the side table and grabbed the remote to the television. As he turned on the tv, Kagome let out a gasp. She hadn't even realized he had a tv! Much less a 62" HD! Her eyes widened when the screen brightened to reveal a woman giving a man a blowjob. "Koga!"

When she looked at his face, he looked miffed as well as he growled, "Stupid mutts! I told them not to watch this shit on my tv!"

To Kagome's relief, he changed the channel before flipping through the movie guide.

There was no knock on the door to warn them as two men burst into the house. Kagome looked up to see two very modernized men. Ginta and Hakkaku stared at her in shock. "She's alive?" they said in unison.

Kagome thought they looked a bit like punks. Or Goths. Hakkaku had dyed his Mohawk green and red. The bit of Ginta's hair that had been grey was now dyed an electric blue. They both wore black cargo jeans, black washed polos, and black boots. These items were accessorized with silver and stainless steel buttons and chains. Kagome was actually surprised neither guy wore any piercings.

"Hey!" Koga snarled at them. "Which one of you idiots thought you could watch porn on my tv? I told you Kagome was coming over and I didn't want her to see that shit."

"S-s-sorry, boss," Ginta stammered. "We thought you were just pulling our legs about Kagome."

"If I wanted to pull your legs, I would do it physically," Koga snapped. "Ya both owe Kagome an apology for putting her in such a position."

As different as the men looked, they still warbled the same as they had before. They looked completely embarrassed as they begged for her forgiveness.

"It's all right," she assured them and glanced at Koga. "It just caught me off guard, but I really shouldn't be surprised, you know? I mean, you are a single man. I would be more surprised if you didn't have any type of porn around here."

"Why? You interested in looking at what I got?" he asked, causing her to blush. He pulled her closer to him in a one-handed hug. "Don't worry, babe. I don't need that shit when all I gotta do is think about you."

Koga took the girl's beer away from her before she could spill any more of it as she tried to wriggle out of his embrace. "That's gross, Koga!" she reprimanded him. "Please tell me you're not being serious?"

He chuckled as he let her go. She immediately went to the other side of the couch. "What did you expect?" he asked her. "I'm a single man. Gotta get my kicks some way."

"You don't have to admit that, though!" she shouted, her face twisted with disgust. "Take me home!"

Koga rolled his eyes. "Aw, come off it, Kagome," he said, turning his body towards her and reaching for her hands. "I'm just messin' with ya. I haven't seen ya in over 500 years. I've missed ya, babe."

"Yeah, well, you've got a funny way of showing it," she fumed, folding her arms across her chest.

"Aw," he whined as he moved closer to her and pulled her into his arms. His lips dropped to her ear and he softly uttered, "You're the only girl I've thought about for years, Kagome. I've never wanted anyone the way I've wanted you."

She heard the door click shut and knew Ginta and Hakkaku had left. She and Koga were alone again. Immediately, the air around them began to tingle as he nuzzled her ear. It amazed her how quickly he could go from joking to serious. She gasped when she felt his lips nibble her earlobe gently.

"Koga," she whispered. It was getting way too hot in his house and she mentally searched for his hands. To her relief, they hadn't strayed from her back.

"I was so afraid that you had left me. I thought I'd never have a chance to be with you," he murmured. He kissed her shoulder. "That you are alive now is a miracle. After all these years…"

"Koga," she repeated more firmly, gently pushing him off of her.

Her sad eyes met with his foggy ones. "I don't want to hear that there hasn't been another woman," she admitted. "I can't bear to think I've been the only woman you've ever thought about."

His lips twisted in confusion as his eyes regained their focus. "That's a first," he commented, placing his hand on her cheek. "Most girls are thrilled to hear their lover only ever had eyes for them."

"But we aren't lovers, Koga," she pointed out.

"True," he admitted. "But we could be."

* * *

**Author's Note:** You may have noticed the * during the story. Here's what they are about:

*Blue Note is a real restaurant in Tokyo. Looking at their menu, they serve mostly seafood, but they also have chicken, pork, and beef. I made up the idea that they would have steak. They do have live entertainment for their guests and it's mostly soft jazz, from what I can tell.

**The war Kagome asks him about is WWII. Unless I'm mistaken, it's really the only major war Japan has played a part in.

***Koga's home should look similar to a two bedroom, one story apartment. Not unlike those you find in apartment buildings. The reasons for this will be explained in the next chapter or so.


	3. Part 3

Kagome awoke to the smell of coffee. It was a wonderful smell and she moaned in delight for it.

"Would you like a cup?" asked a masculine voice.

"Mmhmm," she replied before shooting up in a sitting position and opening her eyes.

The miko glanced around her surroundings frantically. _Oh no!_ She thought as she realized she was lying on Koga's couch. That's when she noticed she wasn't wearing her own clothes either. Instead, she had on a plain blue t-shirt and a pair of black boxers.

"Where's my skirt?" she asked him as she looked around the floor for it.

He pointed to the overstuffed chair where her clothes sat neatly folded. "You were falling asleep, so I gave you clothes to change into and offered you a place to sleep," he explained as he handed her a cup of coffee.

She took a sip of the hot drink and closed her eyes, savoring the taste. Her eyes opened slowly and she frowned. "Why didn't you take me home?" she questioned.

He shrugged as he sat on the couch next to her. "Didn't think you'd want me driving drunk," he responded.

Her eyes widened. "You were drunk?"

He chuckled. "No, but you seemed to think so," he said as he took a sip of his own coffee.

They sat in silence for a while, each enjoying their own coffees as the events from the night before played in their heads.

Kagome remembered fussing at Koga for being drunk. It seemed to her that he had managed to down an entire case of beer. It made him more clingy than normal and she had to fight him off several times. Even worse, the alcohol had also made him quite horny and she had felt him when he would press up against her. Thankfully, he had kept his word and did not try to take advantage of her. Then again, how could he when she refused to drink anything save a glass of water?

When he wasn't trying to kiss her, they talked. He gave her the rundown on how his life had been since he last saw her. He was an architect now and his pack all worked in the construction industry. Together, they had the Wolf Project, which was a company Koga owned and ran. They built everything from houses to businesses to skyscrapers. (That was how Koga managed to afford Armani and Rolex.)

Two of his wolves lived in his house. Because owning wolves was illegal in the city limits, Koga had them licensed as mutts. These wolves spent most of their time roaming in the yard or house.

He gave her a tour of the house and told her how he wanted to expand it once he had a family. _"How many kids did you want again, Kagome? 4? 12?"_

For now, the house was a two bedroom, one bath building. The extra bedroom housed most of Koga's exercise equipment and desk. _"I'll have to clean the computer before you get on it. Wouldn't want you to stumble into a folder you don't need to look at. I am, after all, a single man."_

His bedroom was large and incredibly spacious. Decorated in a contemporary Japanese style, he had a king-sized bed, a dresser, a nightstand, and a taller set of drawers. All the furniture was made of wood and had a maple finish to them. The room was airy and had a rather large window to the right.

Koga had offered to let Kagome sleep in his bed, but she politely refused. She didn't need him getting any more ideas than he already had.

Kagome looked at her mug of coffee and thought a lot about their conversations the night before. It wasn't that Koga had been without a woman for 500 years. He just never could find a woman he wanted to settle down with.

"Wolf bitches are great," he had told her. "Wolf demon bitches are incredible, but I just ain't got no interest in them."

He had tried dating human women as well, but, "They were more interested in how hot I looked without any clothes on. And they always left before I could really get to know 'em."

She mentally wondered if he even allowed any of them to stay long enough. She assumed he was still incredibly hung up on her, which surprised her. She would have thought that after 500 years, he would have been over her by now.

"Why haven't you moved on?" she thought aloud. She hadn't meant to say it out loud and gasped when she felt Koga shift on the couch.

He shrugged as he lazily rested his foot on his knee. "Never wanted to," he told her truthfully. "I wasn't joking when I told you before about wolves mating for life."

"But we never mated!" she proclaimed in frustration. "To be someone's mate, you have to have sex, right? We've never had sex. We haven't even kissed!"

He gave her half a smirk. "You wanna?"

"No, I don't wanna!" she stated. "What I would like is to see you happy."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "But I am happy," he told her as he took another slurp of his drink.

"Koga, you dream about building a home for your family. You told me yourself that you want a wife and children," she said looking at him. "I know you can't always be happy just having your wolves for company."

He met her eyes and took a deep breath. As he released the breath, he said, "You don't understand, Kagome."

"No, I don't," she agreed.

He gave her a sarcastic smile. "No, you really don't," he told her. He turned his gaze to the blank television. "I would love to have a wife and children. It's a dream that I have almost every night. But that doesn't mean I am unhappy. I have my pack, my health, and my career. I wake every morning with the thought that it's gonna be a great day."

Kagome smiled sadly. "That's great that you can look on the positive side of things, Koga."

He snorted as he closed his eyes and rubbed his temple with one hand. "Sure," he commented. "I have to. It's what the alpha does. I'm the leader of this pack and I gotta make sure everyone is satisfied. And if I'm not happy, the entire pack is affected by it. Being positive comes with the territory."

"But?"

He let his hand fall to his lap and stared at it. "I would like to have a warm body to sleep next to at night. Someone I could share my thoughts with without worrying about them using it against me. Someone I can be upset around. Always smiling and being happy is hard."

She nodded in agreement. "Especially when you're so lonely," she agreed.

He pursed his lips as he stared hard at the television. "Don't suppose you would wanna help me with that, huh?" he asked her. He turned and looked at her. "Wolves mate for life, Kagome. That's not a line we throw. And we tend to be very careful of who we choose as our mate because it means so much to us.

"You think it's simple, don't ya? That I could just forget you ever existed and find some other bitch to fill my bed. After all, like you said, you and I never had sex. We've never even kissed."

He turned his face downward and away, not looking at her. "There's more to it than that," he confessed. "When a wolf has chosen his mate, he becomes attached to her, heart and soul. It doesn't matter if we actually have sex or not. She becomes everything to him and he cannot imagine himself with any other female. In his mind, she's the only one that really exists."

He took her small hands into his larger ones and stared at them. "I thought you were dead," he professed. "I thought something bad had happened to you and mutt-face didn't tell me. My heart ached and yearned for you. There were times when I couldn't help but howl out your name, begging your spirit to return to this plane. Many of the pack members feared that I would step down from leadership. For a while… I thought I would, too."

"Koga," Kagome whispered, shocked by what she was hearing.

He looked up and met her blue eyes with his own. His eyes were filled with unshed tears and Kagome was at a loss of what to do. She had never seen this side of Koga before. She did not even know this side existed.

The Koga she knew was tough and strong. He led his pack with an iron fist and took bullshit from no one. He fought hard and played hard. Sure he enjoyed a good banter and he was pretty laid back most of the time, but he could be quite brutal when needed.

The Koga she saw now was a broken man. She could see the fear and worry in his eyes. Years of suffering was etched in his face. Her heart bled for him.

"I never meant to hurt you, Koga," she murmured softly. "I wish I never would have left the Feudal Era, but I did what I thought was the right thing to do. The jewel was gone. Naraku was gone. My time there was done and I wanted to finish school. I would like to return someday and…"

"Don't," he said quickly and a bit more forcibly than necessary. "Don't go back, Kagome."

"But…"

"Don't," he said even more forcibly this time. He growled, "I can't lose you again. I couldn't bear it."

He quickly wrapped his arms around her body and hugged her tightly. His face buried itself in her hair. "Don't do that to me," he whispered in her hair.

She sat frozen in his arms. She had no idea how to respond to him. What was she to say? What was she to do? What about Inuyasha?

She gently placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him slightly off. "Koga, I don't want…"

She never finished her statement for he used that moment to press his lips against hers. Her eyes widened in surprise. He was kissing her! One of his hands clinched the back of her head while the other rested on her back. His eyes were closed and she could see that he had, indeed, been weeping in her hair.

Hesitantly, she began to relax in his arms. Her eyes fluttered closed as she began to return his kiss. She could taste the coffee mixed with something that was completely Koga. It was wild and passionate.

His kiss was hard and longing. She could feel his love for her in his kiss and she felt herself falling more into it. Or was she just falling overall?

Her back pressed against the couch as he hovered over her. A part of her brain wanted him to stop. They shouldn't be doing this. She loved Inuyasha, not Koga, right? Right?

But he felt so right against her as his body became aligned with hers. His hands tangled themselves in her hair as he kissed her. His lips trailed kisses down to her neck and he gently suckled at the sensitive spot there.

Her back arched as she opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. She had never had a guy kiss that sweet spot and she found she liked it. Her own hands found their way into his hair as her mouth searching for his.

He obliged her willingly, letting his tongue slip between her teeth. One of his hands untangled themselves and moved to her hip. He caressed it for a moment before letting it slip further down to her thigh. She felt as he lifted her leg and wrapped it around his waist.

She felt the tip of his penis as he pressed it against her. Immediately, she released his lips and threw her head upward. "Koga," she rasped.

She felt him get even more excited as he kissed her throat and pressed even more persistently against her core. "Koga, please stop," she moaned.

She could feel a deep, frustrated rumble in his chest, but he stiffened against her. He also stopped kissing her. She looked down and saw his eyes were still closed. It was then she remembered she was wearing a pair of boxers and he was dressed in pants.

He was breathing heavily, his hands staying steady on her body. She waited a moment before she repeated his name.

"Wait," he snapped at her.

Suddenly frightened, she clamped her mouth shut. She had never heard that tone of voice from him; at least, not directed at her.

When he opened his eyes, she could see the red tinges in them. That was another "new" for her. Was he really showing her his demon?

He stared at her. "Give me a chance," he snarled. "You want me, you know you do. I can feel that you want me. I can smell it. All I'm asking for is a chance, Kagome. Let me prove to you that I can be your man. I love you. I always have. Let me love you."

She shuddered. His entire body bristled with electricity and emotion. She didn't know what to do.

"Ok," she agreed.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Remember, kids, Koga's a wolf. He isn't being mean or rude when he calls women bitches. It's what you call a female canine. For Koga, he would consider all females a bitch because, well, that's what they are! Lol. But he doesn't mean it in a mean way.


	4. Part 4

Kagome could feel Koga relaxing. He rested most of his weight on his legs which were between Kagome's legs. This made it so that his lower body was pressed against hers. He was staring at her in wonder.

With a frown, he asked, "Ok what?"

She shifted a bit underneath him. "Koga, could you get off of me?" she requested.

He did not move. "Ok what?" he repeated suspicion written across his face.

She sniffed. "It'd be much easier to talk with you if you weren't laying on me. Now, will you please move?"

"I'm not moving until you answer my question," he told her. "What are you agreeing to?"

"I'm not one of your wolves, you know," she huffed. Seeing that he wasn't going to move, she answered him, "I mean, ok I will give you a chance."

His body relaxed even more and he pressed his forehead against hers. His eyes were closed as he said softly, "Thank you, Kagome. That's all I've ever wanted."

It was at that moment her phone decided to ring. "Oh, no! My mother is probably worried sick about me," she cried as she remembered she had told her mother she'd be home the night before.

She managed to climb out from under him as she rushed to get to her purse. Kagome dug around the little pink purse and pulled out her phone, answering it with a breathless gasp, "Mom! Hi!"

"Kagome," her mother said on the other end, "where are you? Sota and Grandpa said you didn't come home last night. We've been worried."

"I know, Mom, and I'm sorry," the girl replied. "Koga took me out to dinner then we went back to his place and hung out. I fell asleep on his couch."

"You fell asleep at a boy's house?" her mother questioned. "I assume his parents were ok with you staying the night?"

Oops. "Well, he kinda… He doesn't have any parents, Mom," Kagome stated. "It's a little hard to explain over the phone. Would you like to meet him?"

"Of course," her mother answered. "It would be nice if he'd stay for dinner. Grandpa went to the store to pick up some chicken. I'll call him and ask him to get extra."

Kagome smiled. "That would be great. I'm sure he'll love it. Thanks, Mom."

"Not a problem. I'll see you soon, dear," her mother said as they hung up the phone.

As she put the phone back in her purse, Kagome looked to find Koga lying across the couch. He had his head propped up on one hand and watched her with hungry eyes. Kagome bit her lip.

"My mom has invited you over for dinner," she told him and he nodded in understanding. She added, "I was right, wasn't I? You don't have any parents, do you?"

He snorted. "None that are alive," he told her truthfully."They died years ago, long before I ever met you."

She nodded as she sat on the floor and thought over what she had said to her mother. "Well, the good thing is, you don't have to hide who or what you are around my family," she explained. "They've gotten so used to seeing Inuyasha that it shouldn't bother them that you are a demon. And don't worry about what my grandfather may say. His bark can be so much worse than his bite and his sutras have never worked on anything."

"I'm not worried," he assured her.

"I don't want you to get upset and annoyed if they start comparing you to Inuyasha either," she told him. "Inuyasha is the only demon they've ever really been around, so they don't really have anyone else to use for comparison."

"That mutt was only a half demon," he argued.

"Still," she said, "they've never really seen it that way. I just don't want you to get angry with them."

He turned so he could stretch his back against the couch. Koga lifted one hand to the ceiling and lazily drew circles as though to wave away her concern. "You've nothin' to worry about, babe. I know how to act around humans. Been doin' it my whole life, ya know."

Kagome nodded, grateful he understood. They sat in silence for a while until Ginta and Hakkaku barged into the house.

"Hey, Koga, Ryuu is at the gate. He's wantin' to go bikin'," Ginta announced.

Hakkaku smiled and waved at Kagome. "G'mornin', sister," he greeted.

Koga sighed, "Tell that idiot that I ain't interested. Kagome's here and I ain't leavin' her to go tangle with some wannabe."

"But he's challenged you, Koga," Ginta argued. He whimpered as Koga growled.

"I ain't worried about some puny mortal's challenge," the wolf prince snapped. "If he's got beef, I'll deal with it later."

Kagome glanced at Ginta curiously. "What was the challenge?" she asked him. "And what do you mean he's at the gate? What gate?"

Koga glimpsed at Kagome before turning his gaze back to Ginta. "We live in a gated community," the wolf prince answered. "You must've not seen the gate last night when we came in. Ginta and Katzu have homes right inside the gate and keep guard."

"He challenged Koga's masculinity. Said Koga was too cowardly to race him," Ginta replied.

Koga snorted. "As if I'd be too scared to race that worthless jackass. I got better things to do than waste my time with him."

"But Koga…" Hakkaku whined.

"Where would you race?" Kagome inquired.

Hakkaku brightened. "There's a raceway right outside the city. We race there all the time with our bikes," he explained with a smile. "It's really a lot of fun."

Koga surveyed the miko. "Why are you so interested anyway?" he questioned.

The miko shrugged. "I've never seen a motorcycle race before. I've heard of them, but I've never really had time to go to one. I think it would be interesting to see."

Koga gave her a smirk as he sat up and stretched. As the wolf stood, he turned to Kagome. "I think I may have some clothes you can wear. Going to the raceway in boxers and a shirt isn't exactly the best of ideas."

Kagome gulped. "Do you think we'd have time to stop by my house? I would really…"

"You got any leather to wear?" Koga asked, cutting her off.

"No, not really," she replied.

He shook his head and beckoned her to follow him to his bedroom. "You won't wanna wear regular clothes to this. It can get really dusty. Leather's the best way to go."

"We'll see ya at the gate, sis!" Hakkaku called as he and Ginta left the house.

Kagome followed Koga into his bedroom and watched as he pulled out a pair of old brown leather pants and a brown leather vest. He also pulled out a green tank and handed the garments to her. "I'll leave so you can change," he told her. With a smirk, he added, "Unless you wish me to stay?"

The miko gave an indignant huff as she pushed him out of the door and slammed the door behind him.

Koga pulled up to the house and killed his engine. Kagome had never had so much fun! She had never seen so many bikers in one place before.

At first, Kagome had been nervous. The bikers seemed intimidating and she knew nothing of Ryuu. Although a few of them teased Koga about Kagome's state of dress, the outfit he had loaned her had been a bit too big on her, they all accepted Kagome easily.

_"It's about time that dolt got himself a girlfriend," a girl named Chie had said. "He needs to get laid badly."_

_Kagome had gasped, but Chie had just laughed it off. "I offered him my own services, but he wasn't all that interested. Apparently, he had slept with a girl not that long ago, but I never seen a bitch, so who knows?"_

The other people there had spent a little time discussing Koga's prowess with the ladies, or lack thereof. Every girl there thought he was hot, but he hadn't really given any of them a shot. There were a couple there that he had brought to the "Pit," but he never really dated any of them.

"Izumi is really pretty," Kagome said as she climbed off the bike.

Koga dismounted and shrugged. "I suppose," he agreed "She's young and quite a bit naïve."

"Aren't they all naïve, though?" Kagome asked. "None of them know you and your pack are demons. They all think you're just humans like the rest of us. How do you keep it a secret? With your hair pulled back, I would've thought someone would have noticed your ears at the very least."

"Humans don't notice nothing," he commented with a snort. "They see what they wanna see. I can walk into a room with eyes glowing red and the most they'd do is shiver, if that. Ever since the end of Edo, they just stopped seeing us. And then this whole Christian wave came through and they really stopped seeing us."

Kagome's eyes furrowed. "Who do you know that's Christian?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No one," he remarked. "But that doesn't stop an influence from happening, especially when they occupy your country. There's so many of them now, especially from the States."

Kagome pursed her lips. "We have people who live there as well, you know," she pointed out.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "I just bought some land out in Idaho this past April."

The miko wrinkled her nose. "What's in Idaho? Where is that?"

"It's in the middle of the States, near Canada," he replied as he followed her to the house. "As for what's in Idaho? Land. My pack and I will be able to go there for retreats and actually run."

She nodded as they reached the door and she opened it. _That must be why they have motorcycles. It's the only way they can really "run" around here._

"Mom, I'm home," Kagome called as she put her keys on a hook near the door.

Her mother walked into the foyer from the kitchen. She had a bright smile on her face as she approached the couple. "You must be Koga," she said as she offered him her hand. "It is so nice to meet you."

Koga returned her smile and accepted her hand. "You as well. Kagome's told me a great deal about you," he responded. "But she failed to mention how pretty you were. Now I know where she gets her looks from."

Mrs. Higurashi blush a little and giggled at the compliment. "Kagome, you didn't tell me he was so charming."

The young miko sighed, "Yes, he can be quite the charmer."

"Dinner should be ready soon. You might want to get cleaned up before we eat. You both look like you've taken dust baths," her mother said as she turned and headed back to the kitchen.

Kagome showed Koga where the bathroom was, and then headed to her room to change and dust off. She was slipping a blue blouse on when she heard her grandfather shouting. Curious, she quickly finished dressing and put her hair up in a ponytail before heading into the kitchen. Her grandfather was dancing around the kitchen like a madman.

"There's a demon here!" he shouted.

Kagome's eyes widened as Koga entered the room with his arms folded and her grandfather began to throw sutras at him. "Begone, foul beast!" the old man screeched.

Koga raised an eyebrow as the sutras bounced off of him harmlessly. Kagome ran to her grandfather and grabbed his arms. "Don't! Koga's not dangerous," she explained to him. "Mom said I could invite him for dinner."

"This is the creature you stayed the night with?" her grandfather questioned incredulously. "He's a demon, Kagome."

The young miko huffed. "Don't you think I know that? I met Koga in the Feudal Era a few years ago."

"That's where I've heard that name before!" her mother blurted with a snap of her fingers. "He's the young wolf prince you told me about. The one who had a crush on you?"

Kagome nodded as her mother added, "He's like Inuyasha."

The young miko paused halfway through her nod and glanced at Koga nervously. The wolf cocked a half smile as he commented, "I'm better than that half demon mutt."

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "The important thing is I don't think Koga means us any harm, Dad. If Kagome likes him, then he's ok. I trust her intuition about these things."

Kagome sighed in relief. While she wanted to point out that she didn't actually like Koga, she kept her mouth shut. She had promised him she would give him a chance. She intended on keeping her promise.

"Shall we sit down for dinner?" Mrs. Higurashi offered as she went back to the pot on the stove. "The food is ready now."

Koga sat next to Kagome and across from the old man. Thankfully, the wolf managed to keep his cool around her grandfather and they managed to have a pretty decent meal.

Sota was very much interested in Koga. "I never met a wolf demon before. Are you like Inuyasha? I know he's a dog, so how do you differ?" the boy had asked. He became excited when he saw Koga's tail. "Inuyasha doesn't have a tail! That is so cool!"

There was pudding for dessert and conversation galore as the Higurashi family learned about Koga and his pack. To Kagome's surprise, the wolf leader was jovial and candid about his pack and life. He even spoke briefly about the war and his life after Kagome left.

"I thought I had lost her forever," he confessed over a glass of Ramune. "No one had told me about this well or anything."

"You must be really in love with her," Mrs. Higurashi observed.

He nodded and took a sip of his drink. "I have been since I first met her. I always will be."

"Don't wolves mate for life?" Sota asked.

Kagome groaned as Koga answered, "Yes, we do."

"But Koga and I haven't mated," the young miko quickly stated.

Koga smirked. "Not yet."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded as she picked up the dirty dishes. "Well, I hope for my sake, Koga, you will wait until you're properly married before you do," she said to him. "I can't begin to understand the ways of demons, but I do know the ways of humans. A proper marriage with festivities and a priest is all I ask for."

Kagome expected some remark from the demon and was surprised when he replied very seriously, "I know the customs of humans as well. If it is your wish that we marry properly first, then that's how it will be."

Kagome's eyes widened as she listened to the rest of the conversation. She had never expected Koga to be so… polite. When he spoke to Mrs. Higurashi, it was with respect and dignity. There was a reverence in his voice when he said Kagome's name.

"So, what ever happened to Inuyasha?" Sota interrupted the conversation, his eyes bright and shining at Koga.

The wolf shrugged. "Last I saw him, we fought over Kagome. I was worried about her when I didn't see her with him and I demanded to know where she was. He refused to answer, telling me some tripe about how she was where she belonged."

Mrs. Higurashi frowned. "That must have been hard for you, not knowing where she was," she commented.

Koga bowed his head. "I searched everywhere," he confessed. "I never stopped searching even when I knew she had to be gone."

Kagome saw it again; the sadness and longing in his eyes. She had never known Koga to be sentimental or deep. She had never known him to care so much.

"When I saw her again in that coffee shop, after 500 years, I was both shocked and happy," he revealed. "Of course, I was a little suspicious at first, but I knew her smell. It's something I'll never forget. I haven't felt this happy in… well, 500 years. It's a nice feeling."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "I am glad my Kagome is able to bring you that joy. You are a very dedicated person, Koga. It's a rare thing with young, handsome men like you. I am glad you've chosen Kagome. She is very lucky."

The wolf demon shook his head. "She is not the lucky one," he proclaimed. "I am."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Just for the record, I have nothing against Christianity as a whole or anything.


	5. Part 5

The next few weeks were a whirlwind for Kagome. Thankfully, summertime had come and she needn't worry about school. This was a really good thing for Koga rarely let her out of his sight.

All the same, Kagome had never had a man treat her the way Koga did. Sure, she was used to the constant concern over her welfare, but he was also very much the gentleman. He even took her out shopping!

He didn't have a car of his own because he loved his motorcycle, so he bought one to drive around in with Kagome. It was a nice car, too, one of those Porsches. He even had it custom painted so the sides of it were decorated with running wolves.

When they went shopping, he made certain to hit all the high end shops and the mall. He took her out to all types of restaurants, too. She had never eaten such a variety of food.

He tried to teach her how to drive a bike, but that was where she drew the line. While she didn't mind riding with him, she absolutely refused to steer it. That didn't matter to Koga, however. He took her to the raceway every weekend and she became fast friends with the girls there. (Turns out, Koga and Ryuu were best buds and were always jeering at one another.)

Today, Kagome was standing in Koga's kitchen by the stove. She had offered to cook him a meal and he wasn't the type to turn her down. She was using the spatula to roll an omelet out of the frying pan and onto a plate when Koga wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He kissed her gently on the shoulder, causing her to smile.

"There's something I wish to talk to you about," he whispered as he nuzzled her ear.

"Hm," was her reply as she put the pan back onto the stove. "Well, lunch is ready. So, if you'd like, we can talk while we eat."

He nodded as he followed her to the small breakfast table. He sat down and watched as she put a plate of food in front of him and another in front of the spot she was going to sit. He waited patiently as she sat down and lifted her chopsticks. He only started eating when she began.

"I spoke to your mother," he told her matter-of-factly.

Kagome froze. _Oh, no! He's going to ask me to marry him! What am I going to tell him?_ "What did the two of you talk about?" she asked nervously, though she already knew.

"Well, I figured I would talk to her before I asked you anything," he said before taking a pull of his Ramune. "She kind of liked the idea: Said it would be a good experience for you."

"A good…" Kagome choked on her food.

Koga was instantly on his feet and patting her back as she coughed. With tears in her eyes, Kagome managed to cough out, "Why would it be a good experience for me?"

He glanced at her in confusion. Once he was certain she was all right, he went back to his seat. "Tomorrow, she's going to take you to the post office to get your passport and make sure you're up to date on everything," he told her. "I would like it if you came with me to see the property in the States."

Her eyes widened. A small part of her was saddened that he hadn't popped the question, but a larger part was surprised that he was giving her this opportunity. "You want me to go to the Americas with you?" she asked.

At his nod, she became excited. Kagome jumped from her chair and threw her arms around his neck. Koga smirked. "I'll take that as a yes?"

"Yes!" she shouted. "Of course, yes!"

She had never been outside of Japan before and she was quick to tell Koga. Instantly, she spoke of the different things she wished to see there and, "Could you take me to the Hollywood sign? What about the Lincoln Memorial? Could we go to Mount Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty?"

Koga chuckled. "Have you ever seen a map of the United States?" he inquired as he wiped a tear from his eye.

Kagome stopped in mid-sentence and looked at him curiously. "I have," she replied.

He nodded. "Then you should know that these places you speak of are scattered around the country, some on opposite ends of the others," he explained. "We'd have to take much more time than we have just to see the things you wish to see."

"Oh," she said, crestfallen.

He lifted her chin with his finger so she could look into his eyes. "Don't worry, babe," he said. "We can make several trips, if you'd like. This trip is just so I can check on my land and the house that's being built on it."

She gave him a small smile. "Will we get to see anything?" she asked.

His eyebrows furrowed momentarily as he thought about it. "Not sure there are any monuments in Idaho for us to see," he stated honestly. "There's a ski resort in Northern Idaho, but I don't know of any monuments. I think the closest is Little Bighorn, but that's in the eastern area of Montana. There's Yellowstone National Park as well, but it, too, is in Montana."

Kagome thought it over for a moment. It really wasn't fair of her to ask him about monuments or anything. The fact that he wanted to her go at all should be enough for her. She nodded in understanding. "It's ok. I would love to see the land you bought and the house you are having built there."

He smirked. "Who knows, maybe you'll even get to see someone you know there."

She was confused by his words and when she said so, he just smiled and shrugged. "I suppose you'll just have to wait and see," he told her.

* * *

Regardless of how many times Koga suggested she sleep, Kagome just couldn't bring herself to. They had landed in Spokane, Washington, and Koga had rented a car for the drive to the property. Kagome pointed out everything that was interesting and surreal to her.

To her pleasure, Koga had bought her a new digital camera, so Kagome spent most of her time taking pictures. There were so many things and she didn't know where to point her camera next.

"You'd think you never saw a mountain before," Koga commented as she snapped at least a dozen pictures of the mountains.

She shrugged. "I've never seen these mountains before," she pointed out. "Aren't they beautiful? Look at how they're still snow capped!"

He just chuckled as he began his trek up one of the mountains she spoke of. The road was winding and long, but he made it to the property without any trouble. Kagome was still snapping pictures when he pulled up to a large half built mansion.

She gasped in amazement as she opened the car door and stepped outside. "It's huge!" she commented before taking a picture of the house.

He nodded. "It's not finished yet," he told her. "We're thinking sometime next June it should be ready."

A young man walked out of the mansion with a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. Kagome could immediately sense his demon aura as he approached. The man had long, reddish brown hair and blue eyes. He wore the typical jeans and shirt of a worker, though his hard hat was hanging from his arm. He was well built and carried himself confidently.

"Koga," the man said in Japanese, he had a high pitched voice that belied his strong build, "the boys wanna know if you're sure about the layout of this kitchen. They said it would be better if the sink were closer to the refrigerator."

Koga shook his head. "No," he answered. "I want the sink where I want it."

The man nodded and began to turn around when Koga stopped him. "Don't you wanna say hi to my fiancé?"

The moment the man glanced up, he froze. His eyes widened as he gazed at Kagome and his mouth dropped. Kagome looked at him curiously. "Hello," she said, offering her hand to him. "I'm Higurashi Kagome."

He nodded. "I know who you are," he told her as he shook his head to clear the fuzziness from his brain. "You don't recognize me, do you? I've gotten a lot bigger the past few years, haven't I?"

Kagome stared at the man. While she had to admit he looked familiar, she just could not place him. It was his eyes that looked the most familiar. She gazed into those blue eyes for a moment before her memory clicked. "Shippo?"

At his nod, she threw her arms around him and laughed. "Oh, Shippo!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly. "I've missed you so much!"

He laughed. "I've missed you, too! How have you been? We were worried when you didn't return to us. Inuyasha…"

"Where is he?" she asked, interrupting him. "Koga said they hadn't spoken since I left."

Shippo shrugged. "I'm not surprised. You know they never did like each other much," he said. He glanced up at the sky as he thought for a moment. "I think the last time I saw Inuyasha was at the Mardi Gras festival in New Orleans. That must have been… 5 years ago, I think?"

Kagome gasped. "He's still alive?" she inquired with abated breath.

The fox demon nodded as he scrunched up his nose. "He's pretty old now, though," he pointed out. "Half-demons don't live as long as we demons do, so it's not surprising that he's aged so quickly."

"Humans age faster," the miko said with a huff.

"True," he conceded. "But I still wouldn't recommend seeking him out. You might give him a heart attack."

Kagome sighed. "I can't _not_ see him. I wouldn't doubt it if he felt I've abandoned him," she stated sadly.

"Besides," Shippo continued as though he hadn't heard Kagome, "you have Koga now. From the looks of it, he treats you a lot better than Inuyasha ever did. I'm not trying to play favourites, but there isn't much Inuyasha can do for you anymore."

"But…"

"I'm not trying to be mean, Kagome," the fox demon said as he gazed at her seriously. "I just want what's best for you. I just don't think Inuyasha is it. Especially now."


	6. Part 6

Kagome was sitting on the counter swinging her legs as she listened to Shippo speak of how he came to work on Koga's house as he fixed the sink in the kitchen. "It wasn't something I just thought of doing out of the blue," he told her. "Ever since you left, Koga's been watching out for me. Well, he and the others. I stayed with Miroku and Sango for a while and travelled with Inuyasha for a while longer. When all this new technology and stuff came about, I learned as much as I could. When you're a demon, it's easy to go to college for four years like eight times in a row."

Kagome frowned. "How do you pay for it, though?" she asked. "School can get expensive."

He just shrugged. "Another thing we really don't have to worry much about," he replied as he tightened a bolt under the sink. "All you really have to do is go a few years without going to school and work your tail off to save money. Then, there's grants and scholarships you can get if you make good enough grades."

Kagome nodded, though she still didn't fully understand. "So, you went to different colleges?" she asked. "How do you attend school without anyone noticing that you stay young?"

Shippo snorted. "That part is easy. Humans don't notice nothing," he commented. "Even when it's staring them right in the face. Had a girlfriend once who thought I just aged gracefully. Don't think she ever realized how I didn't age at all."

"Or maybe she was being nice?" the miko suggested. "For humans, it's hard to grasp immortality, especially when we are born to die."

The fox demon sniffed as he sat back and closed the sink's cabinet. He looked up at the miko and tilted his head to the side. "I don't think I've ever heard anything so cynical from you, Kagome," he stated as he stood up.

She looked down and away from him. She sighed. "I think Koga is becoming attached to me," she whispered sadly.

"_Becoming_ attached?" Shippo inquired, and then he huffed, "More like _been_ attached. He's had his eyes on you since the two of you first met. You know this, Kagome. That the two of you are together is like a dream come true for him."

Yes. She knew this already, but it didn't make her feel any better. She stared at her shoes. "I miss Inuyasha," she confessed.

Shippo furrowed his eyebrows and wrinkled his nose. "How does missing Inuyasha factor into Koga being attached to you?"

Kagome breathed in and exhaled with frustration. "Because I feel like my thoughts and desires are cheating Koga," she admitted, gazing up at the kitsune. "I feel like I'm doing to Koga what Inuyasha did to me with Kikyo. It's not fair that I am thinking of Inuyasha and missing him when I'm with Koga. It's like… It's like I'm cheating on him."

Shippo pursed his lips. "But you're not," he argued. "I mean, you aren't running after Inuyasha every time you catch his scent or…"

"But I would," she told him. "If Inuyasha came to me today or tomorrow, I fear I'd forget all about Koga and run to Inuyasha with arms wide open. I just… Koga doesn't deserve that… Not from anyone and especially not from me."

The two sat in silence while Kagome wracked her brain with what to say next. She wanted to be with Inuyasha, didn't she? It's what she had always wanted, but then she started being around Koga more. She gave the wolf demon a chance and now she was lost. "What do I do, Shippo? Where do I go from here?"

They made eye contact and Kagome desperately wished she knew what he was thinking. The range of emotion that crossed his face was enough to make her nervous. Was he judging her? Was he hating her?

He took her hands into his and seemed to inspect their hands for a moment. When he finally spoke, he gazed into her eyes intently and said, "What does your heart tell you, Kagome? Where do you think you should go? That you are even asking these questions and having these thoughts tells me that you feel very deeply for Koga. Whether those feelings are deep enough to overcome what you feel or have felt for Inuyasha, I don't know. But I do know one thing. Inuyasha was then. Koga is now. What happened in the past is the past…"

"Yes, I understand that," she interrupted him.

"You can only live in the present," he finished, "and hope for a good future. Koga can give you a good future."

"But for how long?" she argued jerking her hands out of his. "I'm a human, Shippo, not a demon. Eventually, I'm going to become old and I will wither. And one day, I will die. What will happen then? Will Koga live the rest of his life lamenting my death? I can't do that to him. It's just as unfair."

"Who said anything about life being fair?" Shippo asked with a sneer. He scoffed. "He loves you, Kagome. Will he lament your death for the rest of his life? Who knows? Maybe. But are you going to let that fear dictate what the two of you have now? Do you think if you blow him off again it'll help him get over you? You already tried that, remember? How did that one work for you?"

"He went five hundred years…"

"Five hundred years believing he would never see you again!" Shippo shouted. "And now that you're back, now that you've given him a taste of happiness, you're just going to blow him off? You wanna talk unfair? _That_ is unfair. _That_ is something he doesn't deserve."

"But, Shippo…"

"Do you know the first thing he asked me when we met up again three hundred and fifty years ago? 'Did she have a good life? Was she happy?' Every day, Kagome. Every single fucking day he thought about you. He talked about you. He even kept your handkerchief tucked in his armor until it wore away. Even though it no longer carried your scent, he swore it did. This business he has? He did it for you because he knew it would make you proud of him."

"What happens when I die?" she asked him. "I mean, really die?"

Shippo sighed. He opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by another voice at the door. "Then I will always remember that I got to hold the woman I love," Koga answered.

Kagome and Shippo whipped their heads to look at him in surprise. They watched as Koga walked into the kitchen and up to Kagome. He placed a hand on her jaw and tilted her head just a little before bending his head down to kiss her. The kiss was soft and passionate and did not last nearly as long as Kagome would have liked.

Koga wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She could hear the soft thump of his heart in his chest as she wrapped her arms around him in return. "We'll find a way," he whispered to her. "I have no intention of losing you again."

* * *

The restaurant was not the best of the best. Then again, there wasn't much to choose from in the small town that was close to Koga's land. It was still a nice restaurant. It was a small hole in the wall that served steak and potatoes. The waiter was nice and friendly.

Koga always brought Kagome to a nice restaurant when they went out to eat, so this wasn't really a surprise. It also wasn't surprising that he had invited Shippo and a few of the wolves with them. Koga sat at the head of the long table and was talking quietly to his right. Kagome sat on his left side and Shippo sat beside her.

"This is a really nice place," Kagome commented as she took a bite of her steak. "And the food is delicious."

Shippo agreed with her as he added, "Yeah, it is the finest restaurant here in town. Tomorrow, when we break for lunch, though, you'll have to get Koga to take you to the Pie Hut. You can get a sandwich, drink, and slice of pie all for a very small price. And they are awesome."

Kagome nodded as she took a sip of her soft drink. "I really like this soda, too," she said as she took another sip. "What was it called again?"

"Pepsi," he told her. "But it's nothing compared to Coca~Cola. Kind of sucks that they don't serve Coke here, but Pepsi's ok, I guess."

Kagome nodded as she cut another slice of her steak. There was a bit of pink in the middle and, inwardly, she cringed. She had promised Koga she would try a medium cooked steak and so far she was enjoying it. He had wanted her to try it rare, but she had refused. _"Food should not bleed," she had_ argued.

Koga stood up and looked around the table. "May I have everyone's attention, please?" he said, causing the entire restaurant to quiet down and look at him, even though he was speaking Japanese and the only ones who could understand him were those at the table.

It was one of the things Kagome loved about him. No matter where they were, Koga always seemed to be in command and control. He could silence a room with just a look. It made her giddy.

The wolf demon looked at Kagome and raised his glass. "I would like to give a toast to the beautiful woman who sits by my side. Though we've only dated for a few months, I've loved her for an eternity."

Kagome gave a soft, humble smile. "I love you, too," she said without thinking.

Her mind froze as her brain caught up to her mouth. Did she just admit that she loved him? Shippo was staring at her in surprise, but Kagome could not think of anything to say. Her breath caught in her throat as Koga got down on one knee in front of her. The entire restaurant watched with abated breath.

Blue eyes met blue eyes as Koga seemed to gaze into Kagome's soul. "I love you," he told her. "I've loved you since the moment we met. And I will love you long after our bodies return to the ground. It would bring me such honor and joy if you were to consent to be my wife."

Kagome's eyes widened as Koga took a small black box out of his pants pocket and opened it to reveal a beautiful princess cut diamond ring. She felt tears fall from her eyes as she looked at the ring and then back at Koga. There, so small one could barely see it, she could see a sliver of fear in his eyes. His fear of her rejection was there, though he hid it in a mask of confidence.

Seeing that fear alone made her smile as she nodded her head in acceptance. A large, goofy smile lit up Koga's face as he jumped up from his kneeling position and grabbed her in a hug. The patrons in the restaurant applauded as he broke the hug just enough to passionately kiss her.


	7. Part 7

Kagome paced the length of the room frantically as she fiddled with her fingers. Koga had gone to another town and said he'd be back before the day was out, so it was just her and Shippo. She glanced at her ring-clad hand, gasped, and continued her trek along the floor.

Shippo was sitting on her bed with a carving knife and a piece of wood. Though she had no idea what he was carving, Kagome knew he was very focused on his work. "You're going to wear a hole into the floor," she heard him comment.

She glanced up and saw that he was staring at her. His carving lay forgotten on the bed by his side. She paused for a moment before shaking her head and returning to her pacing. "I can't believe I said yes!" she repeated aloud.

"Why did you say yes?" the fox demon asked as he stood up from the bed. He made the short trek to her and grabbed her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. "Kagome, look at me. Why did you say yes?"

She looked up into his blue eyes, he was her height now, and her eyes watered. "I don't know!" she cried. "I love him, Shippo. I know I love him. I can't believe I love him. And I want to marry him, but…"

"You're still worried about Inuyasha," he finished for her when she stopped speaking.

She nodded and he pulled her into a hug. "I'm also worried about what will happen when I die," she said in a muffled voice. She held the kitsune in her arms and breathed in his scent.

There was a calm she felt when she had her arms wrapped around him and listened to the beat of his heart. It was the calm of a friend who understood and could sympathize with you. It was a lot like the calm she felt with Koga, but different. This calm was something a sister felt when she hugged her brother or a mother felt when she hugged her son.

Shippo pulled away from her slightly so he could look her in the eyes. "How long are you going to worry about that?" he asked her. "Koga told you that it will be taken care of."

"Yes, but how?" she inquired. "What does he intend to do? I won't let him kill himself for me."

Shippo snorted. "I highly doubt Koga has any intention of dying or killing himself any time soon. You should trust him. Everything will work out," he assured her. "And you shouldn't let the fear of death stop you from enjoying the time you have."

She turned and walked away from him, stopping when she came upon the window. She gazed out over the large field and at the mountains in the distance. "Everything happened so fast," she whispered, knowing he could hear her. "It seems like one moment I'm letting you know about my fears, telling you my thoughts about Inuyasha and my own mortality, and the next I'm professing my love for Koga and accepting his proposal of marriage. I'm not even sure I was thinking at that restaurant. Or what I was thinking."

They fell into silence for a while as they both lost themselves in their own thoughts. Kagome watched as two blue jays battled over a tasty morsel and imagined Koga and Inuyasha in their place with Kagome as the morsel. It was both a sobering and frightening thought.

She knew Shippo was right. She shouldn't let the fear of death stop her from enjoying the time she had. As for Inuyasha? Well, if he was as old as Shippo claimed him to be, he probably wouldn't remember her anymore. It wasn't like she could go into the well and…

"Shippo, did I ever go back?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the fighting birds.

She heard Shippo's sigh. "No," he replied. "We waited for a very long time, too. Inuyasha believed you'd be back once you were done with school, but none of us knew how long that would take. We stayed in that village until Sango passed away. Even then, Inuyasha and I returned to the village constantly. We watched it grow into Tokyo, but we never saw you. "

"Sango," she murmured. "Did she and Miroku have a good life? Did they live long? Were they happy?"

She felt a few tears fall down her cheeks as Shippo answered, "They lived as long as is expected of humans. Miroku died a few years before Sango but not before he was able to see his second born grandchild. Sango was able to see her first great grandchild before she left us. They lived very good lives. Not sure they were always happy, especially after Miroku passed, but I suppose they were filled with joy for the most part."

Kagome nodded. The birds had managed to tear their morsel in two, but they both flew away with their treasures. "Oh, Sango," the miko sniffled. "Oh, Miroku. They were wonderful people."

"They were," Shippo conceded.

"What would they say about me now, I wonder? I could certainly use Sango's advice," she said with a sigh.

The fox demon sighed as well. "They would probably only want your happiness and they would be happy as long as you were… Are you happy, Kagome?"

She turned back to him to see him standing there watching her with concern-filled eyes. She shrugged. "Most of the time, I am," she responded honestly. "When I'm with Koga, it's like I forget anything else exists and all I want to do is laugh and have fun. But when he leaves, I feel like I should be ashamed of myself, as though I'm doing an injustice to him. Or maybe it's an injustice to Inuyasha?"

Shippo pursed his lips and furrowed his eyebrows. "Maybe what you need is closure. Maybe that's why you feel so… like you're Atlas or something."

"Could you help me?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea where Inuyasha is," he told her as he pulled out his cellphone, "but Sesshomaru might. I don't really like talking to the guy as he's a bit of a dick, but he would be the best person to talk to."

Kagome's eyes widened as she watched Shippo press a few buttons and put the phone up to his ear. He had Sesshomaru's number this entire time?

* * *

After Shippo got off the phone with Sesshomaru, a conversation that lasted a good five minutes, he called Koga and let him know what was going on. Koga did not like the idea of Kagome seeing Inuyasha again, but he understood it was for the best. She needed that closure.

Shippo drove to the Spokane Valley airport. The flight lasted ten hours with two stops along the way.

Kagome had to remind herself of the reason they were in New York City. Her adventurous soul was getting to her and she wanted to see everything. She squealed when she saw a large bull statue in the middle of the road and clapped her hands together at the beauty of the architecture she saw.

They approached a tall building that she immediately noticed was a high class hotel. Kagome stopped and gaped at the building. "Inuyasha's in there?" she asked in disbelief.

Shippo shook his head. "No, but Sesshomaru is," he replied. "And he's waiting for us in the penthouse."

As they entered the building and took to the elevator, Kagome couldn't help but feel under-dressed. It seemed to take an eternity to get to the top floor and when they did, the miko thought she had died and gone to heaven.

She had never been the type of person to be impressed by wealth. In fact, she hated when people flaunted their wealth, which was why she liked Koga so much. Sure, it was obvious that he was rich, but he never mentioned his money and his home was humble and simple. Even the place he was building, though very much a mansion, was of a simple design and catered more to usefulness over aesthetics.

As they walked into the penthouse, Kagome stared at the large painting over the fireplace to her right. Her eyes watered as she gazed at the familiar girl smiling in the picture. Shaking her head, Kagome took the time to study some of the other things in the room.

The couch, if you could call it that, was made of tight black leather and looked far too uncomfortable to sit on. It was the same with the two armchairs that stood on either side of the couch. There was a fine oak wood coffee table in front of the couch that supported a vase of white roses. The couch and chairs were facing a large bookcase that took up the entire wall. There were countless books covering the wall and Kagome itched to see the titles.

To the left, there was an open bar with several bottles of alcohol in a pyramid behind it. Glasses hung above the bar and two black leather stools sat in front of it. On both sides of the bar were hallways and Kagome could glimpse a kitchen area and a dining room.

As she glanced around the room again, she saw a seemingly steel door near the elevator and she wondered if it led to the rest of the penthouse. Or maybe the other steel door on the other side of the elevator led to the rest of the place?

Kagome never got a chance to ask Shippo if this were the case, for it was at that moment that a young girl entered the room from the hallway to the right of the bar. She was carrying a tray of cups with a pitcher of tea. The miko's eyes widened in surprise and her mouth opened slightly in shock. "R-rin?" she stammered.

Shippo quickly shook his head, but before he could correct her, the girl smiled politely and said, "I get that a lot. I am not Rin, unfortunately."

The girl, who must have been in her teens, pointed to the painting above the fireplace. "That is Rin," she said.

Kagome gasped, "The resemblance is incredible."

The girl smiled some more. "Thank you. Lord Sesshomaru often says the same thing. Sometimes, when he's busy or annoyed, he'll call me 'Rin' by mistake."

The miko nodded. "So, who are you then?" she asked.

As the girl set the tray on the coffee table, she answered, "My name is Saki. I am a descendant of Rin's. Once Rin had her first child, Lord Sesshomaru became diligent in watching over her descendants. He even helps us find spouses. He is very kind to our family."

Kagome nodded as she watched the girl set out the cups and pitcher of tea. She picked up the tray and walked back towards the hallway she came from. "Please, make yourself comfortable," Saki said. "My lord shall be with you shortly."

The miko looked at Shippo when the girl was gone. She was confused by his expression for he looked as though he had just bitten into a lemon. "What's wrong?" she asked.

He shook his head and heaved a sigh. "Saki's a nice girl. Her entire family is nice," he whispered. "I just… never mind. Let's sit."

Kagome turned her attention to the couch and chairs. Her eyes widened slightly. "Where?" she inquired. "Everything here is so… clean. I wouldn't want to put a dent in the furniture."

The fox crooked a half smile as he moved to one of the armchairs and sat in it. "Are you intimidated?" he asked. "It's the effect that Sesshomaru wants. He'll be happy to know it is working."

The girl pursed her lips as she made her way to the seating arrangements. She sat very delicately on the end of the couch nearest to Shippo. "What kind of leather is this anyway?"

"It's Italian leather," answered a male voice from behind her. "It's imported from a custom design factory in Sicily."

She hadn't even heard anyone enter the room, but she recognized that voice. She stood up and turned to face the man she had once considered an enemy and then an ally.

He still had that long, silvery hair, though it was kept back in a low ponytail. He also still wore the marks on his face and arms. His clothes were of a business casual nature and looked as expensive as his furniture. His eyes were fixed on the papers in his hands and he had yet to look up at her, but she knew how golden those eyes were. How cold they were.

She smiled as she saw Jaken dancing around the taiyoukai with a pen and notepad in his hands. "Hi, Jaken," she greeted.

The little demon looked up at her and jumped in surprise. As a result of his jumping, he tripped over Sesshomaru's foot and earned a glare from the taiyoukai, but Jaken did not see the glare. Kagome frowned as the little toad pointed at her and shouted, "You!"

Sesshomaru glanced up to see what Jaken was fussing about and froze. A pregnant silence filled the air as he stared at the miko. After what seemed to Kagome to be hours, the taiyoukai spoke, "Are you a reincarnation?"

The miko nodded. "Well, I am a reincarnation of Kikyo," she clarified. "But I thought you all ready knew that?"

The demon frowned. "How is this possible? You lived five hundred years ago."

Kagome shook her head, but it was Shippo who answered him. "There is a well at Kagome's shrine that allowed her to travel in the past when she was fifteen. That's how she met Inuyasha and, well, the rest of us. She's really from this time, though, and she is a mortal."

Sesshomaru stared at her for a moment more as he seemed to mull this information over in his head. His eyes narrowed. "Is this why you wanted to see Inuyasha, fox?" he whispered. His tone had a soft, dangerous quality to it.

Shippo shrugged. "It's not like she had any choice in the matter," he answered. "She tried to get back to the past, but the well wouldn't open for her. S'not her fault."

The taiyoukai moved slowly as he strode towards Kagome. As he got closer, she backed up and continued to back up until her back touched the bookcase. He followed her the entire way and stepped even closer to her. She could smell his expensive cologne and traces of peppermint toothpaste. She forced herself to meet his eyes and refused to feel intimidated by him.

"Do you miss him, miko?" the taiyoukai murmured. "Do you wish to pick up your relationship from wince it left off? You reek of wolves, miko."

Kagome took a deep breath. Gods he smelled good! With a forced sigh, she answered him, "I do miss him and I know I smell like wolves. I've become engaged to a wolf demon from our home country."

Sesshomaru scoffed as he stepped away from her. "Yes," he responded, "to that pup Koga. I can smell him all over you. So you wish for closure with Inuyasha, then? To tell him you've moved on and are bedding another dog?"

Kagome's eyes widened at the insult and she opened her mouth to protest, but Sesshomaru placed his hand over her mouth. The look in his eyes was deadly as he glared at her. "I'll do you a favour, Kagome," he sneered. "Go back to your wolf bastard and marry him. Inuyasha already believes you are dead. We'll keep it that way and you will never darken my doorway again."

Kagome grabbed at his hand and jerked it away from her mouth. "It's not just closure for me, asshole," she growled. "Inuyasha needs closure, too. I won't have him believing that I am dead when I'm not. I have never lied to him and I won't start now."

"So, you'd rather break him, then?" the taiyoukai snarled. "Like you did 500 years ago? Do you know he waited in that pathetic dump of a human village for almost a hundred years for you? He wandered the country a few more hundred years pining over the loss of you. The bastard's still not over you. Honestly, I think you did more harm to him than that clay miko ever did. And now you want to see him so that you can tell him you're marrying that piece of shit? I think not. Go home, bitch. Go home and leave Inuyasha in peace."

As he said those last few sentences, Sesshomaru grabbed Kagome's arm and threw her towards the elevator. She fell to the ground and glared at him. "I'll search for him, Sesshomaru," she spat. "And I'll keep searching for him whether you like it or not. I want to see him. I need to see him."

The demon scoffed. "And where will you look?" he asked her. "You don't even know where he is and I have no intention of telling you anything. Besides, he's too old for you now anyway. Go back to where you came from and get the fuck out of my home."

Kagome stood up and started to argue with him, but Shippo grabbed her shoulder. He was calm, but she could tell he was also anxious. "Let's go, Kagome," he told her. "It was a mistake to even bring you here. I knew Sesshomaru wouldn't be of any help."

"But Inuyasha…"

The fox demon closed his eyes and sighed. "Maybe it's best if you just believed him to be dead. We won't find him. I wouldn't have the first clue of where to look for him and you should focus on your upcoming nuptials with Koga."

Sesshomaru snorted. "Hope you have a nice wedding," he sneered sarcastically. "Don't let the thought that very soon you'll grow old and die put a damper on things."


	8. Part 8

Kagome was quiet during the trip to the airport and the trip back to Spokane. She had always known Sesshomaru to be a bit harsh, but she had never heard him speak the way he had spoken to her. The things he had said to her continued to flip around in her mind. It was almost as though… Was he concerned for Inuyasha?

A few times on the plane she had wanted to ask Shippo what his thoughts were on the matter. Did he think Sesshomaru cared for Inuyasha? Did he know? She stopped herself from asking the kitsune, though. Every time she looked at him, he looked as though he wanted to punch something.

When they were in the car on their way back to Idaho, Kagome finally asked what was bothering him. He scoffed. "Better question would be what was bothering you," he snipped.

She gasped at his sharp tone and watched as he bowed his head and shook it. "I'm sorry, Kagome," he said. "It's just… I keep thinking about Saki."

She nodded. "You like her, don't you?" she asked.

He threw her an ironic smile. "I guess you could say that," he replied. "I did ask Sesshomaru for permission to marry her once. But those humans, Rin's descendants, are his pets. He breeds them very carefully and meticulously. Says it's what Rin would have wanted."

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows. "But Saki loves Sesshomaru. You could tell just by the way she spoke of him."

He rolled his eyes. "You don't get it, do you?" he asked. He guided the car down the highway and bit his lip. "You've heard of dog breeding, right? Dog's love their masters and, if they could talk, would probably never speak ill of them."

Kagome's eyes widened. Shippo glanced at her and, seeing that she understood, laughed at the irony of it all. "Sesshomaru would deny such things, you know," he said. "But I've seen him. When he feels the humans are ready to take a mate, he gets involved and handpicks their partners. They think of him as some sort of guardian angel, so they never argue with his choices. Then again, I don't think they know how to argue with his choices."

"Saki isn't married, is she? She's awfully young still," Kagome inquired.

Shippo shook his head. "She has at least another three years before she's old enough to marry, but Sesshomaru is looking for her mate. He just hasn't found the right one yet."

"That's awful," the miko said sadly. "So, even if you did like her, it wouldn't matter because Sesshomaru doesn't approve? Couldn't you two elope?"

The fox snorted. "As if she would! Her entire family, including Saki, is woven so thickly around Sesshomaru that they wouldn't do anything without his approval," he sneered. "Everything revolves around Sesshomaru. 'What school are you going to?' 'Whatever school Lord Sesshomaru thinks is appropriate.' 'What did you think of that movie?' 'Well, Lord Sesshomaru thought it was rather dull.' 'Why are you wearing that dress?' 'Lord Sesshomaru thought it was pretty.'"

Shippo scoffed. "It's like talking to robots," he huffed.

Kagome looked at him curiously. "So, what made you take an interest in Saki?" she asked.

He just shrugged. "I thought she was cute, I guess," he replied. He was quiet for a moment before he spoke up again. "She looks so much like _her._ In a lot of ways, she acts like her, too. There's just something _special_ about Saki. There's a fire in her eyes that I remember from…"

He became quiet again and Kagome could only guess what he was thinking. She had never known the kitsune to be reserved or unwilling to speak of his feelings. In a lot of ways, he was very much the same kid she remembered from 500 years ago, but in other ways, he was very much different. He had changed and grown up.

Looking at him, she could just make out the worry lines in his face. They were barely noticeable and anyone who didn't know him would be hard-pressed to find them. He was still young, very young. Or was he? The corners of his mouth and eyes showed the telltale signs of age, but again, anyone else would not see it.

"Who did Rin end up marrying?" she asked after a while.

She saw his expression darken and it dawned on her that he may have had feelings for the little girl. The darkness lasted for only a moment before it was gone. He sighed. "You'll be happy to hear that she ended up marrying Kohaku," he told her. "They had two children together and lived very happy lives."

"Oh!" she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm glad they were happy."

He nodded as he turned down a street. "I am, too."

* * *

Koga held her close and Kagome stood there, breathing in his scent. It felt so nice to have his arms wrapped around her. It was comforting.

"I'm so sorry I had you worried," she said.

His chest rumbled as he chuckled. She smiled at the feel. "There's no need to apologize," he told her. "I knew Shippo was with you, so I wasn't too worried. So, did you get to see Mutt-face?"

She shook her head and buried her face in his chest. "Sesshomaru wouldn't let me," she mumbled in a muffled voice.

Kagome could hear his growl come from deep inside his chest. It vibrated into his stomach and up his throat. Was he angry for her? She had never witness anything like that before and pulled away to look into his eyes. She was amazed by the indignation that was carved in his hardened features.

When he spoke there was gruffness in his voice that was usually reserved for misbehaving wolves. "Is Shippo doing something about it? Is that where he went?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I'm not sure," she replied honestly. "He dropped me off here and said he would be back later. He seemed… agitated. Did you know that Sesshomaru breeds a family of humans like humans breed prized dogs? I think Shippo is in love with one of the girls Sesshomaru keeps."

Koga nodded as he kissed her forehead and walked to the refrigerator. He pulled out two bottles of cola and handed her one. "Shippo had told me about the family once before," he explained. "He said Sesshomaru had started his breeding program with that little girl he saved 500 years ago. The taiyoukai keeps a record of each person; including their birth, death, what children they had, and who they married."

"Do you have any idea of why he does it? Or what his goal may be?" she asked.

The wolf demon shrugged as he took a pull of his drink. "Most of his humans are well known in the modeling circuit," he told her. "They are some of the most beautiful humans on the planet, but they are little more than robots, to be honest. They do everything Sesshomaru tells them to do."

She nodded. "Yes, Shippo told me that," Kagome said. "He also said that Saki was different from the others."

"Saki?" Koga asked his head tilted a bit.

Kagome almost smiled at the canine expression. He was so _cute_ at times! "The girl Shippo is in love with," she clarified. "He asked Sesshomaru if he could marry her."

"Ah! Yeah, he told me about some girl he had wanted to marry," he responded. "I'm not surprised that Sesshomaru would deny the sale."

Kagome's eyes widened and she popped Koga on the arm. "Humans are not for sale!" she protested. "They aren't objects or property."

He chuckled. "I never said they were," he stated. "That doesn't mean Sesshomaru feels the same way. There are a lot of demons who keep humans as pets. Well, those demons that dare to show their faces in public, that is."

The miko did not like where this was going. "Is that what I am to you? Your _pet_?" she hissed.

The wolf raised his hands in surrender. "No. That would be a mistake I would never make," he declared. Then he explained, "I don't dally in human breeding or servitude, nor does any of my wolves. You are my mate, or will be my mate soon. I like your fire and your individuality. That you don't really need a man, but allow me to be a part of your life is something I treasure. I'm not gonna muck up what I got by makin' you into a pet. Besides, demons who keep human pets don't mate with 'em. And I intend to mate with you as many times a day that I can, once we are properly wed, of course."

Kagome blushed, which made Koga smile. "You are really adorable when you blush, babe," he told her which made her blush even more.

"So, what do I do now?" she asked. "If Sesshomaru is keeping Inuyasha away from me…"

His eyes narrowed a moment while he thought. "Somehow, I highly doubt Sesshomaru can keep Inuyasha from anything," he said. "Chances are, he lied to Mutt-face and told him you were dead or some bullshit. This is the 21st century, which means..."

He took her hand and led her into his office. Once there, he got behind the desk and fired up his computer. "If Mutt-face kept up with the times, like I'm sure he did, we can probably find him on the internet. As much as I ragged him as a pup, he ain't no idiot. We'll find him, babe. Trust me."

Kagome watched him as his fingers flew across the keyboard and he clicked on different sites with the mouse. "Why are you helping me with this?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

He turned to look at her and she could see the seriousness in his eyes. "Because your happiness is my first priority. And if seeing that mutt again will make you happy, then I will make sure it happens."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I love Koga. He's so sweet, especially when it comes to Kagome.


	9. Part 9

Koga glanced at all the flowers. They were giving him a headache, to be honest, but he wanted to get something nice for Kagome. He knew she liked flowers, so he decided to get some for her in hopes it would cheer her up.

They had scoured the internet looking for that infernal pup with no luck. They tried American and Japanese sites. They even tried other international sites and still came up short-handed. It was like he no longer existed.

Koga knew this was not the truth, though. Even though he no longer dealt with the mutt, Shippo had several times. Judging by the things Sesshomaru had said to Kagome, there was no doubt in the wolf demon's mind that the hanyou was still out there. The question was where?

It was agony for Koga to see Kagome look at the computer screen hopelessly. To see her sad eyes fight back tears while she stared almost blankly at the screen was more than he could take. In the end, he suggested they take a break from their search while he went to the store to pick up some groceries.

It was a welcomed relief when she accepted the offer. Now he stood in the middle of a flower shop surrounded by all types of flowers. He had no idea what to get for her. Well, he had some idea of what he wanted.

He picked his selection carefully, knowing that each flower had a special meaning. He did not want to give her the wrong combination. When he was done with his selection, he asked the florist to place them in a vase.

He returned home to find Kagome mindlessly flipping through the channels on the television. She sat on the couch lazily and did not seem to care that she was hunched. He smiled. She really was beautiful, even when she was depressed.

"Did you find what you were looking for at the store?" she asked him, not bothering to turn around and look at him.

He smiled some more. "I did," he told her. "And I got something for you as well."

That made her perk up. She sat up and gazed at the boutique in his hands. Her eyes widened. "You bought me flowers?" she asked as she stood up and went to him.

He handed her the flowers as she buried her face in them and breathed in their scent. He explained what each one was for, "The hibiscus, larkspur, and jasmine stand for a delicate beauty, beautiful spirit, and grace and elegance, all of which you are. The red and yellow tulips and red roses are to show my declaration of love as well as that I am hopelessly and passionately in love with you. The Star of Bethlehem and stephanotis are for hope and luck. The Black-Eyed Susan is for encouragement. And, finally, the begonias and pansies are to let you know you are in my deepest and most loving of thoughts always."

Her eyes watered up and he knew he had done something right. The tears that fell from her eyes were not tears of sadness. She smiled at him and gave him a one armed hug. He could feel her spirits lift and he was happy.

Then she asked, "Koga? Where are the groceries you said you were going to get?"

* * *

Rocketman258: Hi! Wanna chat?

Wlfgrl663: Sure. What would you like to talk about?

Rocketman258: Well, how bout your name change? Wasn't it Doggirl something?

Wlfgrl663: Well, yeah, but I thought I'd do something different.

Rocketman258: I liked the other one better. When did you get into wolves?

Wlfgrl663: They aren't bad creatures. They're pretty and really smart.

Rocketman258: Yeah, whatever. So, what's new? Besides the name.

Wlfgrl663: I'm getting married. :)

Rocketman258: Really? Aren't you young?

Wlfgrl663: I'm old enough to decide whether I want to get married or not. And he's agreed to wait until I'm out of high school.

Rocketman258: How generous of him. So, who is he?

Wlfgrl663: He's an old friend. We met a while back and he's been crazy about me since.

Rocketman258: You never mentioned him before.

Wlfgrl663: Well, we kinda lost contact for a couple of years. So, what about you? Got any new girlfriends?

Rocketman258: Nah. I ain't got time for them. Station's gonna be launching another shuttle soon, so they got us on double time.

Wlfgrl663: Oh, bet that's gonna be fun!

Rocketman258: Yeah. Wish you could come see it.

Wlfgrl663: I could ask my fiancé. I'm sure he wouldn't mind.

Rocketman258: Aren't you in Japan, though? That's a long way to go just to see a rocket launch.

Wlfgrl663: We're actually in Idaho at the moment. My fiancé owns some land out here and he's building a house on it. We're staying here for the summer.

Rocketman258: He rich or something?

Wlfgrl663: Kinda.

Rocketman258: How is he "kinda" rich? He either is or not. If he can afford a trip to Idaho, land, and a trip to Florida to watch a rocket launch, he's gotta be loaded.

Wlfgrl663: He doesn't really like to flaunt it.

Rocketman258: And bringing you all around the world isn't flaunting it?

Wlfgrl663: He doesn't do it to show off. He likes making me happy.

Rocketman258: Well, if you wanna come, we launch next Wednesday.

Wlfgrl663: how will I know you?

Rocketman258: I'll be the only idiot wearing a baseball cap and a Miami Dolphins jersey. And if you can't find me then, look for the guy with long hair in a ponytail.

Wlfgrl663: Ok! I'll see you then!

* * *

Kagome logged off from the computer and left the room. She found Koga on the outside balcony yelling at a couple of wolves on the ground. "I said white, not brown, you idiotic mutts!" he growled.

The miko watched him for a moment before she approached him and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. "What are you doing?" she asked as she felt him relax in her arms. She could feel his tail sweep across her legs and giggled.

He turned around in her embrace and kissed her gently on the lips. He seemed a bit annoyed, but he smiled at her. "Just ground work," he said simply. "Who were you talking to online?"

"Rocketman," she said. "He's some guy I met online a couple years ago. He works at a space station in Jacksonville, Florida. He also owns a no-kill animal shelter there. He would like us to go to his shuttle launch next Wednesday. What do you think?"

Koga pursed his lips. "I don't see why we can't," he said. "I haven't been to a shuttle launch before, so it should be interesting."

Kagome smiled. She knew he wouldn't turn the opportunity down. He snapped his fingers as though he had thought of something. "I want you to take a look at these tiles."

He took her hand and led her back into the house. They walked downstairs and into the kitchen where she saw a large binder that seemed to be packed. As they approached the binder, he let go of her hand and opened it.

"What is this for?" she asked.

"The pool," he said simply and her eyes widened.

"You're building a pool? Where?" she inquired.

He shrugged. "I was thinking of building it in the west wing. It'll have to be indoors, though, or it'll freeze. I was also thinking of building two, so we may have one for ourselves and the wolves can have one. It'll be bad enough having my fur and our children's fur clogging up our filter. We don't need their fur, too."

She smiled. "Oh, I don't mind if we share a pool with them. It's not like it won't get cleaned on a regular basis. Besides, the company will be nice, won't it?"

He wrinkled his nose. "So would some privacy," he countered. "We'll be around them a lot and we can always use the other pool. I just figured, especially as newlyweds, we could use our own so we can spend personal time together. Also, they tend to play rough a lot and I wouldn't want one of them to accidentally hurt one of our children."

Kagome shrugged. "So, you set rules and boundaries when the children are playing. And if we wish to have some privacy, you could always order the wolves out of the pool, can't you? You are the leader, if I'm not mistaken," she pointed out. "Whatever you say goes. Besides, it's your money that's being spent."

"_Our_ money," he corrected.

She stopped at looked at him in confused. "What?" she asked.

He sighed as he pulled her into a hug. "Everything that was mine is ours," he clarified. "It's yours as well as mine. This pack, the money, this land, the house in Japan… it all belongs to the both of us."

Her eyes widened. "But, Koga, you…"

She was at a complete loss for words. It had never occurred to her that everything he owned would be hers as well. She gazed down at the tile samples and thought over everything he had said. She realized why he was building this house. It was more for her than anything else.

Shippo's words crossed her mind again. _"Every day, Kagome. Every single fucking day he thought about you. He talked about you. He even kept your handkerchief tucked in his armor until it wore away. Even though it no longer carried your scent, he swore it did. This business he has? He did it for you because he knew it would make you proud of him."_

"Do you still have it?" she asked. Glancing up, she saw his curious look and clarified, "Shippo said you kept a handkerchief of mine. Do you still have it?"

She could see sadness in his eyes as he hung his head and shook it. "I lost it in the war," he murmured.

She just shrugged it off. "Oh. Well, I guess I'll have to give you another one, then," she said.

She really did not care whether he still had the handkerchief or not, that wasn't the point of the question. She just wanted to see his reaction to the mention of it for his reaction confirmed what Shippo had said.

Kagome flipped through the binder until she found some tiles that she liked. Knowing the house was hers, she was firm in her argument that two pools were unnecessary. In the end, Koga relented and Kagome was happy.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Think Inuyasha would have given in that easily? They aren't even married yet and Kagome has Koga wrapped around her finger! And, did you see? Koga's thoughts made an appearance!


	10. Part 10

Kagome glanced around the airport and smiled. She had never been to Florida and was looking forward to seeing the space station. And the beach. Koga said they would go to the beach at one point this week. Maybe after the shuttle launch.

She was a bit excited about meeting her friend, too. They had spoken to one another over the internet for years. She figured it would be nice to attach a face to the words.

She felt Koga standing next to her and glanced at him. "Did you get all of our bags?" she asked though she knew she didn't really need to ask.

He nodded. "I booked us a hotel room at the Hyatt, so we should probably check in there before we go to the space station."

When she went to take her bags from him, he politely refused, letting her know that he could handle it. To her surprise, there was a car waiting for them outside the airport. Koga explained to her that he had rented the car ahead of time. She smiled at his ability to plan ahead as she got in the passenger's side and patiently waited for him to finish loading the car.

The hotel was magnificent. There was valet parking and a bellhop to help with the luggage. Checking in was easy, too.

When they entered their room, Kagome was further amazed by the beauty of it. The room was made up in beige and white colours and had a king-sized bed sitting in the middle and framed by two floor lamps. Above the bed there were two paintings of palm trees. In the corner, by the large bay window, there was a desk and stuffed office chair. In another corner of the room, also near the bay window, was a beige armchair. The dresser sat along the wall directly opposite of the bed and held a flat-screened television.

"Koga, I can't help but notice there is only one bed," Kagome commented as she placed her bags on the floor near the bed.

He nodded as he put his bag on the bed, opened it, and started putting his clothes in the dresser. "If you would like," he suggested, "I can sleep in the chair, though in all honesty, I don't see why I should."

She sucked in her breath and looked at him with hardened eyes. He glanced at her and chuckled. "I'm sorry, babe," he said. "I guess I just don't understand the modesty. We will be married soon. Sharing a bed…"

"Is something reserved for married couples only," she interrupted. Her expression softened as she thought about what he said. She gazed at the armchair near the window. "If we were married, I wouldn't have a problem with sharing a bed, but we aren't. Things happen at night, Koga. Things happen that shouldn't happen when we are sleeping so close to one another."

He raised an eyebrow. "Did those 'things' happen when you shared a tree with Mutt-face?" he asked. He froze. Quickly, he added, "I am so sorry, Kagome. I have no idea where that came from."

He immediately dropped what he was doing and pulled her into an embrace. Her eyes were wide in shock at what he had said. He continued to whisper his apologies in her ear and she could feel that he was truly sorry.

She supposed she couldn't really blame him, though. They had both been searching the internet constantly for Inuyasha. Shippo had taken a flight to Chicago to hunt down what they all hoped was a lead.

She still didn't understand why Koga was helping her look for Inuyasha. What was the point? What was there for him to gain? Was he planning on leaving her when she found Inuyasha? In her mind, she snorted. That was doubtful.

He had a point, though. She and Inuyasha had slept together many times and they had never done… Well, Inuyasha was always respectful of Kagome's purity. Why would Koga be any different?

Kagome pulled away from Koga slightly and placed a hand on his cheek. "It's ok," she assured him before she kissed him to show that she meant it.

Her lips parted slightly and she was a little surprised when she felt his tongue lick her teeth. She gasped and he deepened the kiss further while pulling her body closer to him. As their tongues collided, all thought ceased in her brain. All she could do was feel.

She had never experienced anything like this kiss before. She felt dizzy and drunk as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her fingers in his hair. One of his hands dropped to her thigh and raised it so it was flush against his waist. He held her there and pressed his other hand against the small of her back so she was flush against him.

He released her lips and began trailing his own down the side of her neck. He stopped at the hollow of her neck and she could feel him sucking in the skin there. It was an odd feeling to her, but it also felt rather good.

He jerked his hips against hers and she felt something else she had never felt before. Her eyes widened as her brain formulated what the hard object that had pressed against her was. "Koga!" she gasped as she placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed at them. "Koga, stop!"

He was strong, though, and she was momentarily fearful that he would not stop. His demonic aura had been steadily growing, which, to her surprise, she had not felt. With a soft groan that came out more like a growl, he brought his head up to look at her.

Her eyes widened even more when she saw the red that had encased his blue pupils. Upon seeing her fear, however, the redness in his eyes faded until they were white again. His face slowly fell into one of despair as he realized what he was doing.

"Kami-sama," he croaked. His hands moved from their positions, letting her thigh fall in the process, and moved to her face. "Oh, god, Kagome, I am _so_ sorry! I have no idea what's come over me."

With a look of utter disgust on his face, he dropped his hands and turned away from her. She watched as he ran a hand over his face. He pinched the bridge of his eyebrows as his demon subsided.

"It's ok, Koga, I…"

"It is _not_ ok!" he interrupted, wheeling on her. She could see the frustration and anger in his eyes as he grabbed her shoulders. "I promised, Kagome. I promised I would never hurt you."

"But you didn't hurt me," she argued.

He stopped and stared at her. "You're not hurt?"

She shook her head. "You just frightened me, is all," she explained. "I felt… well, you know…" She waved a hand at his groin area. She looked into his eyes. "I've never felt one before and it startled me. I… I didn't know what to do."

He stared at her blankly before his mouth split into a cocky grin. "It won't bite, you know," he joked, which earned him a half-hearted pop on the chest. Koga chuckled as he released his grip on her. "When you decide you're ready to explore, feel free. I will be more than happy to introduce you."

"You pervert!" she accused as she blushed. "See? This is why sharing a bed would not be a good idea until we are married. You're too…"

"Horny?" he offered when she stopped talking.

He laughed even more as she felt her face become hot and she knew she must have been blushing hard. "Koga!" she reprimanded. "That's not…"

He wiped a tear out of his eye and put his arm around her shoulders. "No worries, babe. I promise I won't try to spoil the goods," he told her. "I think you're mom would try to exorcise me if I tried to open my present before our wedding night."

She pursed her lips. "You are incorrigible."

He laughed as he went back to his unpacking.

* * *

The car ride to the Kennedy Space Center was a quiet one. Kagome was excited to see the shuttle launch and could not wait to meet Rocketman. She wished she knew his real name, though she found it did not matter much anymore. It wasn't like he knew her name or anything. That would all change in a few short moments.

The Visitor Center was packed and Kagome could only assume it was because of the shuttle launch. She held Koga's hand as she searched the crowd for a man in a Miami Dolphin's jersey. "I thought he said he'd be the only idiot wearing a Dolphin's jersey," she commented, a little peeved.

Then she remembered that he was also wearing a baseball cap and had long hair. So, she looked for those qualities as well. There!

Her eyes widened as she spotted the man on the other side of the center. It couldn't be!

"Inu… Inuyasha," she whispered in disbelief.

Koga looked in the direction she was looking and his eyes narrowed. Then, she shouted as loudly as she could, "INUYASHA!"

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was totally predictable. It occurred to me last night that it would be, but, eh, I had already posted it. No big deal. I still got some surprises in store for y'all that you won't be able to guess. ;)


	11. Part 11

Everything in the world had frozen in time. Nothing and no one existed as Inuyasha and Kagome made eye contact. The entire world was forgotten as Kagome pushed through the crowd and ran to him.

"Inuyasha!" she shouted again as she bounded toward him.

He leaped towards her and they met in midair. Wrapping their arms tightly around one another, they held each other close as Inuyasha's feet gently touched the ground. "Ka-Kagome," he whispered as he buried his face in her hair.

The world seemed right again in Kagome's mind. Everything would be all right because she had Inuyasha back. As her mind righted itself once more, she pulled away from him slightly. "Inuyasha, _you're_ Rocketman?" she asked staring into his golden eyes.

He touched her cheek and smiled. "And you are Dog Girl. I never would have thought it would be you," he replied.

The sound of a straightened throat interrupted their reunion. As Kagome turned in Inuyasha's arms, she could hear and feel the hanyou growling. "What are you doing here, fleabag?"

Koga's arms were folded across his chest and he seemed annoyed. "I could ask you the same thing, mutt-face."

"Guys," the miko said as she tried to dispel the fight she knew was coming.

"Yeah, well, don't even think of touching Kagome, you worthless piece of shit," the hanyou snarled.

Koga snorted. "I'll touch her if I want. She's my woman. You, however…"

"Guys…" Kagome's voice fell on deaf ears.

"Ha! Don't make me laugh! I'll gut you so fast you're head will spin!"

"Inuyasha! Sit, boy!"

To Kagome's surprise, it worked. She had barely enough time to move out of the way before he had fallen hard on his face. "Oh," she gasped. "You still have the beads."

"Why wouldn't I still have the beads?" Inuyasha growled. "Kaede said you were the only one who could take them off, and you didn't before you left!"

She helped him back to his feet and he dusted off his jeans. Now that she was looking at him, she could see that he had, indeed, aged. Though Shippo and Sesshomaru may have exaggerated a bit, the hanyou seemed to be closer to middle aged. It seemed as though he was just beginning his middle aged years, which, to Kagome, wasn't so bad.

There were wrinkles where there hadn't been any before and his hair seemed to thin out a little, but not much. He looked thinner, too. Gone were his Robe of the Fire Rat and his hakama. He also wore shoes as opposed to running barefoot. His nails were trimmed as well.

"Why didn't you come to the shrine? You knew I would be there," she inquired.

He shook his head. "It's a long story," he told her. "Perhaps after the launch we can go to my place and talk?"

She smiled and nodded. Her smile faded fast as Inuyasha glared at Koga. "So, why are _you_ here?" he asked gruffly.

"Feh," the wolf demon scoffed. "I'm here by _your_ invitation, Rocky."

Inuyasha's eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. "I never invited you," he commented.

Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Before Koga could say anything else, she responded, "You did, Inuyasha. Koga," she hesitated before continuing, "Koga and I are… Well…"

The hanyou's eyes widened in realization. "Wait," he interrupted. "Don't tell me. You said online that you were engaged. Is he…? Damn, Kagome. Really? _Koga_?"

The miko frowned. "What do you expect? Koga and I met again a few months ago and we've gotten to know one another again. He was the only person I could talk to about that time," she huffed. "He was the only one who understood me. I didn't know where you were or if you were even still alive. I didn't have Shippo, either. Honestly, Inuyasha, if you would stop fighting with him and actually take the time to get to know him, you and Koga would probably be good friends."

Koga snorted. "You're stretching, babe," he said as Inuyasha puffed, "Doubtful."

Kagome shook her head and threw her hands in the air. "I swear, you are both like a couple of children the way you act," she fussed. "It's been five hundred years. Let it go! Whatever grievances you have now, get over it and move on! You're supposed to be mature adults."

"Babe…"

"I don't want to hear it," she said as she turned away from both of them. "Grow up!"

The two men followed her as she walked towards one of the windows. Inuyasha spoke, "Why Koga? I understand your need or desire to move on, really I do. I'm not surprised that you are engaged. But why _Koga_? He's… he's…"

She turned her head to face him. Her eyes softened as she stated calmly, "Because I love him, Inuyasha. You don't know the man he has become or how well he treats me."

"But I…"

"I love you, too," she said, cutting the hanyou off. "I've tried going back into that well. I've tried ever since the day I left. When I finally accepted that it wouldn't open up again, I waited for you. You never came. There was so much I wanted to say. So many things I wanted to talk to you about and you weren't there."

Inuyasha hung his head. "I cannot offer any viable excuse," he told her. "All I can say is I couldn't stand to see you again knowing that I would lose you once more. It was… it was easier for me to go on pretending that you were already gone. I… that doesn't excuse my actions. I just hope one day… you can forgive me."

She touched his shoulder causing him to gaze up at her. "I all ready do," she told him. "After my conversation with Sesshomaru, I thought a lot about what he said and what had happened. I cannot imagine the pain you have gone through. There's so much…"

She was interrupted by the ring of Inuyasha's cell phone. He grasped her hand. "We'll finish this later," he said as he looked to the window. "It's starting."

Kagome nodded as she turned to Koga and took his hand into hers. He smiled at her as he lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of her hand. The three of them gazed out the window and watched as the shuttle began its take off.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Short chapter, I know. A bit lacking, too, in my opinion. I really didn't want to have a fight between Inuyasha and Koga at the Kennedy Space Center. (Would not have been very respectful.) I don't think Kagome would want it, either. Besides, kinda shows they've matured, at least a little. Don't worry. More will be up soon. (I hope. This bug is wonderful.)


	12. Part 12

Inuyasha's home was very humble on the outside. He had a white picket fence in the front with a concrete walkway to the porch. The walkway was lined up with monkey grass. The garden wasn't very elaborate, either, with its green bushes. There was a tree in the middle of the front yard and it took Kagome a moment to recognize it as a Japanese plum tree.

The inside of the home was not much different in its humbleness. It was decorated in a very Edo Japanese style with little to no Western furniture. In fact, the only Western furniture Kagome saw was the living room set, for guests, and the desk set in Inuyasha's office.

The living room set was designed for comfort rather than aesthetics and Kagome wasn't disappointed when she sat on the brown couch. A television sat across from her in its wooden entertainment center.

Nothing in the house screamed "big" or "look at me." There were no pictures or trophies on the wooden walls. The lighting came from ceiling fans. He had central air conditioning, which was a good thing because it was hot outside.

There was a dog bed near the entertainment center and Kagome looked at it curiously. She hadn't seen a dog, but the bed looked used. "Inuyasha," she asked, "who does the bed belong to?"

"Oh!" he said as he went to the back door. "I almost forgot."

He opened the door and this large, monstrous dog bounded into the house. It was about the size of a small pony and had thick, fluffy fur. It had a cream coloured coat and a white face. The dog, though one could easily describe it as a small bear, jumped on Inuyasha and licked him in the face.

"Down, Akiko!" the hanyou commanded. As the dog landed on all fours, Inuyasha smiled at it. "Are you hungry? You should be. You haven't eaten all day."

Kagome watched as the hanyou went to the refrigerator and pulled out a nice sized steak. Her eyes widened as he placed the steak on a plate and stuck it in the microwave. As she opened her mouth, Kagome froze.

The bear-like dog had realized there were other people in the house and was currently growling at Koga. Though she wasn't surprised that the dog could smell the wolf, Kagome had no idea on what to do. Did it mean to attack Koga?

She worried needlessly, for Inuyasha called to the dog and said, "That's enough. I'll let you know when it's time to attack."

Kagome glanced at Koga and could see the disappointment in his eyes. She sighed and shook her head. Some boys just never grow up.

She turned her attention back to Inuyasha. "When did you get an Akita?" she asked him. "I thought you just ran the animal shelter. I didn't know you kept any of the animals."

"I don't," he told her as he leaned against the counter. "Akiko was handed over a couple months ago by a couple who wanted her put down. They claimed she was aggressive. I brought her home for rehabilitation, but she didn't need it. She's happy here and I like the company, so I kept her. Akitas are often handed over to shelters because people don't know how to take care of them, especially here in the States. It's like them idiots who get pits or rotties or any other big dog. These animals were bred by humans for the purpose of protecting the home and family, but many people don't realize what that entails. So, instead of trying to learn about the animal, they bring it to a shelter."

Kagome nodded as the microwave dinged and Inuyasha took out the plate of steak. She watched him slice the bloody meat and place the plate on the floor. Akiko was quick to start eating it.

"She growled at Koga," the miko pointed out.

Inuyasha sniffed. "That's because he's a wolf," he commented. "She could smell it on him. And she doesn't really care for males, with the exception of me. Watch this."

The hanyou turned to the large dog. "Akiko!" he said, gaining the dog's attention. "Where's Sesshomaru?"

Akiko forgot her food and ran to the door. Once there, she put her head down and released a ferocious growl. The fur on her back stood on end as her tail pointed straight up.

Inuyasha laughed. "It's ok, Akiko. He's not here," he told her and the dog went calmly back to her food. The hanyou chuckled some more as he turned to Kagome. "She hates Sesshomaru with a passion. When I'm on the phone with him, she will not stop growling. I think the feeling is mutual, too. Sesshomaru has threatened to have her put down several times now."

Kagome shook her head. "Perhaps you shouldn't encourage her so much," she commented.

"Bah," he answered as he opened the refrigerator again. "I ain't worried about Sesshomaru. It's not like he comes here often anyway."

He took out three bottles of cola and handed one to Kagome and one to Koga. Koga took his and looked at it. "You ain't got no beer or sake?" he asked.

Inuyasha shook his head as he opened his coke. "Drank too much of that shit for years. It took me a while to get off of it and I ain't interested in getting back on it."

The miko took a sip of her drink. "I never thought you'd become an alcoholic," she said.

Inuyasha walked into the living room and plopped into the armchair. "That happened about twenty years ago," he told her. "I knew you were going to be born and I couldn't bring myself to handle it. Took both Sesshomaru and Shippo to get me to kick the habit. I almost took Shippo's advice and went to your damn shrine, but in the end, I couldn't. I guess it's my loss, though."

As the hanyou took a swig of his drink, Koga nodded. "Your loss is my gain," the wolf said with a smile.

To Kagome's surprise, Inuyasha did not become angry or make a snide comment. If anything, he agreed with the wolf prince. "Just make sure you take care of her," he stated. "And try not to be too rough with her. She's a human and she's fragile. If you try to be rough, she can break."

"I know how to handle my woman," Koga growled. "I don't need advice from a pup like you."

"Uh-huh," the hanyou said and took another swig of his drink. He pointed the drink at Koga. "And what are you gonna do about her mortality? She ain't gonna live as long as you."

Koga grunted. "I'm workin' on it."

Inuyasha nodded as he stood up and went to the only bookcase in the entire house. He pulled out a thick and heavy binder and handed it to the wolf. Then he pointed at it. "That is all the research I've done so far on humans and mortality," he explained. "Thanks to Sesshomaru, I've been able to study humans and their medicines and such. I've also done research on their legends. Did you know every human culture in the world has some type of legend about achieving immortality?"

"Yes, but those are all myths, aren't they?" Kagome piped in as Inuyasha nodded.

"They say, though, that legends have a string of truth in them," he told her. "Many human cultures worshiped demons and celestial beings as gods. Sesshomaru's own pet project regards him as something of a god. They just have a hard time accepting their own mortality and fate, so they believe in these higher powers in hopes they will, one day, achieve immortality themselves."

Koga opened the large binder as Kagome looked over his shoulder. Inuyasha perched himself on the couch's armrest as he pointed to the various contents of the binder. He continued, "I've done research on things like the Fountain of Youth, the Philosopher's Stone, vampire blood, ambrosia, and so many other things. One thing these objects have in common is the person's ability to drink or consume the immortality."

"But none of these things are real," Koga reiterated. "They are all myth."

Inuyasha nodded. He stood up and walked to the bookshelf again. "I returned to my mother's home when I realized Kagome wasn't coming back through the well. While I was there, sifting through the ruined home, I came upon my father's journal."

He pulled out another book. This one was both smaller and thinner. It was bounded in black leather with a brown leather string tied around it. He handed the book to Koga. "Apparently, my father was also searching for a means to make humans immortal. I suppose he was doing it for my mother. He loved her very much. I think he was on to something, but he died before he could go any further."

Kagome stared at the leather book. "Why? Why would you do all this research?" she asked him.

The hanyou sighed. "I knew I was going to see you again in the future," he replied. "I wanted to find a way to protect you. To keep you young, beautiful, and alive for a very long time." He was quiet for a moment, before he added, "I still have a few hundred years of my life left. Koga has even more. I know your plans have changed and I've become a supporting role in the book of your life, however, I would like that story to continue for many thousands of years. I want you to be happy, Kagome. And I cannot… Hm. I cannot bear to watch you grow old and die. You are so young and you have so much to offer the world. You deserve that chance."

Kagome's breath caught in her throat. "Inuyasha," she whispered.

She stood up and walked over to him. Very gently, she reached out and touched the necklace he wore, but he pulled back. "No," he said. "Leave it. I want to keep it."

Kagome pulled her hand back and nodded. "And I'll try not to say the 's' word anymore," she told him with a smile.

He nodded. "Thank you."

"What 's' word?" Koga asked.

Kagome and Inuyasha both looked at him as though he had grown a second head. Koga just smirked.


	13. Part 13

Koga threw his keys into a tray next to the door of the house. Kagome followed him inside and passed him as she went to her room to put her suitcase away. She did not bother unpacking right away as she wanted to help Inuyasha to settle in.

Returning to the foyer, the priestess found the wolf and dog glaring at one another. Koga had leaned against the table near the door and had his arms folded while Inuyasha stood in front of the door and emitted a low growl.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked as she looked at the two men.

Koga shook his head. "I told Mutt-face that, if he wanted, he could take your room and you could just share my room with me," he said.

Inuyasha snorted. "You are not gonna…"

Kagome stepped between them and sighed. "When will you two grow up?" she asked. "There are plenty of guest rooms Inuyasha could stay in. He doesn't need my room. Besides, now that we are home, there's no need for us to share a bedroom."

Koga's eyebrows furrowed. "I'd think after last night…"

"Last night was not something that should have happened," Kagome hissed. "And you'd do well to forget it happened at all."

Inuyasha's face fell. "What happened last night?" he asked.

"Nothing!" Kagome shouted before Koga had a chance to respond. The wolf just gave a mischievous smirk.

The priestess' face was a bright shade of pink as she took Inuyasha's hand. "I'll show you to your room," she said as she led him into the house.

As they disappeared into the house, Koga glanced at the kitsune standing off to the side. "So, what happened last night?" the kitsune asked.

The wolf's smirk widened. "I was wondering when you'd ask," he said as he picked up his suitcase.

Shippo followed the wolf prince into his room and watched as he unpacked. There was an upbeat to the wolf's step and Shippo wasn't entirely certain he liked it. While he considered Koga to be one of his good friends, Kagome was like a sister to the kitsune.

"I had decided to take a shower when we returned to the hotel," Koga explained. "Kagome had gone off to the lobby to get something to eat, so I figured I had the room to myself for a little while. I didn't know she had brought a plate back up for me."

"She saw you naked," the kitsune surmised.

Koga clicked his tongue and pointed a finger at Shippo. "Got a full frontal view, too," he added as he chuckled.

Shippo nodded as he frowned. "Did you fuck her?" he inquired.

The wolf demon gazed at the kitsune curiously and frowned slightly. He could tell the kitsune was angry, if one were to judge by the balled up fist at his side. The wolf shook his head. "I gave her mother my word I wouldn't make love to her until we were wed the human way," he said. "And I would never just fuck Kagome. I love her too much for that, you know that. Why are you suddenly so defensive of her?"

Shippo met Koga's eyes as he replied, "Kagome and I have been through a lot together. In a lot of ways, she's the only family I've ever had. I just don't want to see her get hurt. Her heart has been broken before and I won't allow it to happen again."

Koga straightened and let his hands fall to his sides. "I have no intention of hurting Kagome," he proclaimed.

"Why is Inuyasha here?" Shippo asked. "And how did you find him?"

Koga shrugged and turned back to his unpacking. "Out of sheer bad luck, Inuyasha ended up being that guy that Kagome spoke to on the internet," he said as he emptied the rest of the suitcase and closed it. "Apparently, the mutt's father had some sort of plan on turning a mortal into an immortal, so Kagome asked him to come here with us."

Shippo nodded. He knew of Inuyasha's research on immortality, so it wasn't a surprise to him. "Did he learn anything new?" he asked to which Koga shook his head.

"What happened after she saw you naked?" the kitsune asked.

Koga smirked again. "It was interesting. Thankfully, she had never seen a real penis before," he replied. "She had taken sex ed in school and was surprised that my penis did not fit the descriptions in the textbook."

"You're a wolf," Shippo said.

"And I have a wolf's penis," Koga responded. "Once she stopped freaking out over the sight of my nakedness, she was fascinated by the way it looked. I managed to convince her that foreplay wasn't the same as actual sex and we… played for a little bit."

Shippo's eyes widened. "How did you manage to convince her to do that with you?"

Koga shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe she just wanted an excuse to touch my cock?"

"I doubt it," the kitsune commented as they left the bedroom.

* * *

They walked into the living room and found Kagome reading the binder. Inuyasha was stretched out lazily across the couch with one hand propping up his head.

"You actually searched for the Fountain of Youth?" Kagome asked as she looked up from the binder.

Inuyasha nodded, but it was Shippo who answered, "We followed all the notes and assumptions we could find, but there is no trace of it. We even tried looking for Atlantis. There's a legend in the Mediterranean that the Atlanteans had found eternal youth. It made the gods angry and that's why the entire continent was sunk."

"Hai," Kagome responded. "I saw there was an area in this binder about Atlantis. But what makes you think any mortal may have found the answer?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "There wouldn't be legends about it if nothing ever happened, right? Something had to have happened or..."

"Or maybe it was mortals' way of explaining the existence of demons and celestial beings?" the priestess suggested. "We have to remember that humans were much more simple minded during these ancient times."

"Not all of them were," Shippo argued with a disgruntled look. "Most of these legends came about during the Warring States Era. To say they were simple minded would be to say Miroku and Sango…"

"I said most," Kagome corrected, "not all. Humans have always tried to find ways to explain things they did not understand. That's why there are so many different religions with so many similarities. During these times, what we now know to be science was considered magic. All demons were considered evil and…"

"That's because all demons _are_ evil," Inuyasha piped in earning glares from the other three. He wasn't fazed.

"There were also people who were considered demons," Kagome pointed out. "Humans like Hitler and Napoleon."

"Hitler and Napoleon _were_ demons," Koga interrupted.

Kagome stopped and looked at the wolf curiously. "What?"

Shippo nodded as Koga continued, "Why do you think Hitler hated so many different humans? And he had a human breeding program very similar to Sesshomaru. Although, I don't think Sesshomaru ever killed any of his humans. Regardless, Hitler was trying to breed a human race that he could control and manipulate the way he wanted."

"But he was a human himself, which is what makes him worse than Sesshomaru," Kagome said.

Koga shook his head. "He was a demon. Babe, I knew this guy. Personally. Where do you think I learned how to fully hide my true form from humans?"

Kagome's eyes widened. "You… You weren't… I mean, you didn't… Were you part of the Holocaust?"

"No!" Koga answered sharply. "I knew him before the Holocaust. Before he was a dictator. I knew him in a time when becoming a dictator was just a dream of his that I tried to talk him out of. When he started causing trouble in Germany, I broke away from him."

Shippo snorted. "Yeah, for the most part."

Kagome looked at the kitsune strangely. "What does _that_ mean?" she inquired.

"I told you Koga and I were in the war together, right? Well, Koga's the one who finally killed the bastard," the kitsune said.

"But he committed suicide. I remember reading about it in the history books. And his parents were Jewish," she added.

Koga raised an eyebrow as Inuyasha butted in, "What makes you think human history is correct? Demons don't wanna be found out no more because when we are there's a massacre. The demons who _do_ get involved, like Hitler and Manson, almost always gets caught or killed."

"Do you know of any demons that've never been caught?" she asked.

Inuyasha sat up and nodded. He and Shippo answered in unison, "Jack the Ripper."

* * *

**Author's Note:** The Manson Inuyasha is referring to is Charles Manson for those who were unable to figure it out. In my opinion, anyone who can do the things he and Hitler and Jack the Ripper did is a monster.


	14. Part 14

Kagome knocked softly on the door before she gently pushed it open. She did not look inside for fear of what she might see. "Koga?" she called.

"You can come in, babe," he said.

As she stepped inside his room, she saw that he was sitting at his desk and was fully clothed. "May I speak to you for a moment?" she asked as she closed the door behind her.

He smiled as he looked up at her. "You don't need to ask," he informed her. "You are free to speak to me whenever you wish."

There were papers in his hands which he placed upon his desk before turning his chair to face her completely. She stared down at her clasped hands and fiddled with her nails. Her left foot reached up to itch the back of her right knee as she thought about how to approach the subject she desperately wished to speak to him about.

He watched her as concern glossed over his face. He had never seen her nervous or anxious before. It troubled him. "What's wrong?" he gently prodded as he tried to decide whether he should go to her or let her come to him.

"I want to talk to you about the other night," she mumbled. "I…"

It took him a moment to realize what she was talking about and then he nodded. "What happened the other night, or rather three nights ago, should not have happened at all," he told her. "There's nothing for you to be ashamed of. After all…"

"I'm not ashamed!" she snarled as she glared at him. He was taken aback by her abrupt change. She continued in anger, "You and I are going to be married. I have no reason to be ashamed of seeing you naked or… doing things with you."

"Well, I'm glad that bit is settled," he said with wide eyes.

She sighed. "I wasn't coming in here because I was ashamed."

He smirked. "Would you like us to pick up where we left off?" he inquired as a rogue look crossed his features.

"No!" she hissed. She dug her fists into her hips. "Are you going to listen to me or not? I'm _trying_ to have a serious conversation with you."

He chuckled as he lifted his hands up in surrender. "All right, all right. I'm just teasing you," he said. He took a breath and fixed his face so he was more serious. "So, why are you here?"

Kagome closed her eyes. "I've been thinking about your…" Her eyes opened and she looked back down at her hands. She mumbled, "…member."

He cocked his head to the side. "What about it?"

She let her eyes roam the room before they came back to him. "We'll be married soon. It's something I am really looking forward to. I love you so much and it seems as though every day I love you more."

He smiled. "You don't know how I've longed to hear you say that," he told her.

He stood up and crossed the room. Taking her hands into his, he pulled her close, putting their hands between their chests. "Kagome, I…"

"I want to see your demonic form," she interrupted him.

He froze in surprise. He blinked. "My what?"

She kissed the back of his hand. "Your true form," she told him. "I've never seen it. If we are to be married, don't you think that's something I should see?"

"Yes, but," he stated, "I rarely, if ever, transform into my true form. I mean, you'll only ever _have_ to see it once."

"All the more reason to see it now," she pointed out. Then, "Wait. What do you mean I'll _have_ to see it once? When would I have to see it?"

It was his turn to look nervous as he dropped her hands and turned away. "There's a reason most demons don't marry humans," he told her. "Or, should I say, there's a reason most humans don't marry demons? When we mate…"

"You're not going to eat me, are you?" she asked.

He snorted as he glanced at her over his shoulder. "No," he replied. "Why would I? Though I have no doubt that you'd be tasty, I can think of other things I'd rather eat. Besides, I'm on a strict 'no human' diet."

Kagome nodded. "That's good to know," she said. "So, what happens when you mate?"

He sighed. "The only way for a demon to properly mate, and by that I mean marry, is to do so in their true form. Once we are married, it won't matter how you and I make love, but the initial mating ritual has to be done in true form otherwise it doesn't count."

"Wait. Are you telling me I have to have sex with a dog?" she asked.

He turned to face her and frowned. "I'm not a dog. I'm a wolf," he said. "There is a huge difference between the two species."

She agreed, "Yes, but that doesn't change the fact that you want me to have sex with an animal and failed to give me this information sooner."

He rolled his eyes. "You won't be having sex with an animal," he stated. "You'll be having sex with me."

"In the form of an animal!" she argued. "What's the difference?"

He pursed his lips. "Does that mean you won't?"

"No," she snapped. "I just wish you would have informed me of this sooner. Why wouldn't you tell me?"

"I'm telling you now, aren't I?" he growled. "It's not exactly a topic that comes up in conversation. Besides, with you hanging out with Shippo and Mutt-face all the time, when would I have had the time?"

"We've been in America for a month and a half, Koga. In that time, you could have damn well told me. I haven't been around Shippo and Inuyasha that entire time. You and I shared a hotel room for _three days_. Instead of trying to get under my clothes, you could have told me what would be expected when we became married," she huffed.

He threw his hands in the air. "Well, now I'm telling you. Sorry I was late, doll, but you can't expect everyone to be on time all the time."

"I don't," she said as her voice softened. "I guess I just expected more from you. You've been so good to me, Koga. You never fail to tell me anything. I just don't understand why you wouldn't tell me this important bit of information. This is our _life_, Koga. Our life together as a married couple. I've been completely honest with you about everything. I've even told you things that I hadn't told _anyone_ before."

The wolf prince bowed his head and closed his eyes. As he opened his eyes again, he reached out for her hand and pulled her into his embrace. "I'm sorry, babe," he whispered. "I guess there's still a lot for me to learn. I've never been in a relationship like ours before. I was afraid that if I told you, you'd leave me."

"I've never been in a relationship like ours either, but I would never leave you for being honest with me," she murmured.

She pulled back from him and looked into his eyes. "Now I really want to see your true form. If I'm going to have to have sex with it, I wanna see what it looks like first," she told him.

He nodded as he stepped further away from her. As he began taking off his shirt, he said, "The good news is, my cock won't change in size, so you don't have to worry about freaking out over a humongous dick."

"Why are you taking off your clothes?" she asked as he unbuttoned his jeans.

He shrugged as he pulled off his pants. "I like these clothes," he said simply. "I don't want them to get ruined. See, the armor I wore during the Warring States era was actually a part of my demonic aura and not normal human armor. When I transformed, the armor just transformed with me. But human clothing is different. Because it's not part of my body, it rips and tears when I transform."

"Sort of like in werewolf movies," she commented.

He nodded. "Though not as freaky as werewolf movies," he told her, "or as painful."

For the second time ever, Koga stood in front of Kagome completely nude. The priestess tried not to blush, but her effort was wasted judging by the smirk plastered on Koga's face.

"Have you ever seen a demon transform?" he asked her.

She nodded. "I traveled with Inuyasha a lot. We saw plenty of demons transform. I've even seen Sesshomaru transform," she informed him.

He gave a single nod. "Well, that is one thing we wolves, unfortunately, _do_ have in common with dogs. Our transformations are roughly the same," he explained. "Now, when I change, I won't be able to talk much, but I will understand everything you say to me. Don't be afraid to investigate. Regardless of my form, I still have the same mind. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Hai," she said and his demonic aura filled the room.

He had been right. In many ways, his transformation was much like Sesshomaru's. His face elongated and his eyes turned red. Fur grew throughout his body and he moved to stand on four legs rather than two.

He wasn't nearly as large as Sesshomaru was, though Kagome suspected that if he stood on his hind legs he would be the same height as his humanoid form. The hair that had once been on top of his head and falling down his back was now a part of his coat and gave him a sort of black blanket on his back and a black face mask. His muzzle, sides, legs, and tail were the same shade of brown while his underbelly was a cream colour.

"Oh," Kagome murmured. "Koga, your demon form is beautiful."

He gave her his best wolfish smile as he walked up to her and licked her on the cheek. He lay down and rolled onto his back while his tail wagged. Kagome's eyes widened and she laughed.

"I am not giving you a belly rub," she informed him. "You pervert."

He stood up and she patted his head. She was calm and knew everything was going to be fine. "Ok, Koga," she told him with certainty. "I can handle getting married to you."

He changed back into his humanoid form and hugged her. "That's good to know," he said as he kissed the top of her head.

"Um, Koga," she murmured against his bare chest. "Would you mind putting on some clothes?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** I had always wanted to see what Koga's true form would look like. I mean, he can't possibly be in his true form when we see him, right? Especially if we go by what Kikyo says about demons early on in the series. (That the most dangerous demons are the ones who pose as humans.) Sure, he doesn't fully look like a human, but neither does Sesshomaru. When I picture Koga's true form in my mind, that is how I picture him.

As for the penis thing, well, this story has an M rating for a reason. I was thinking of writing an outtake spinoff on my Adult Fan Fiction account, if and when I can get the stupid thing working. I would like to actually write the little bit that happened between Koga and Kagome in the hotel room, but it's a bit too risque for this place. (There are a few other scenes I'd like to write in the outtakes, so I really want to write it.) If and when I do write the outtakes, though, it will _only_ be available on Adult Fan Fiction.

While the characters mention sex and such here, I won't be doing any actual sex scenes on Fan Fiction. This is Tassana trying to be the responsible adult. Although, this story has an M rating, there is no doubt in my mind that kids under 18 have read or are reading this story. So, those scenes will be available in the outtakes on AFF.


	15. Part 15

"Why is he coming with us again?" Koga asked for the seemingly hundredth time.

Kagome sighed. "I told you," she answered in annoyance. "Inuyasha was planning on returning to Japan anyway. He said there was some work he wanted to do on his mother's property."

Koga wrinkled his nose. "Couldn't he have gone separately, though? Why is he coming with us?"

The priestess shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Because I want him to, that's why," she replied snappily. "Are you satisfied?"

"Not really," he grumbled.

"Well, you'll just have to deal with it," she huffed. "It's not like he's going to be staying with either of us and Shippo will be there as well."

* * *

Mrs. Higurashi smiled as Kagome and Koga entered the house. She gave her daughter a hug and told her she had missed her a lot. Then, she turned to Koga. To the wolf's surprise, the woman gave him a hug as well.

"It is so nice to see you again, Koga," the woman told him.

He glanced at Kagome and, at her nod of approval, he returned Mrs. Higurashi's hug. "It is good to see you again as well," he said to her.

Mrs. Higurashi pulled away from him slightly and smiled at him. "You will stay for dinner, won't you?" she asked.

He nodded and she patted his shoulder before breaking away from him. Looking slightly past the wolf, the woman's eyes widened and her smile grew even larger. "Inuyasha?"

The hanyou looked at her and nodded. "It's…"

He did not get a chance to finish his statement before the woman darted to him and pulled him in a tight hug. "It's been so long!" she commented. "How have you been? You look so different without your hitoe and hakama. And you're wearing shoes now!"

"I also have a job," he told her which earned him a smile.

"That is so wonderful to hear," she said. "You'll be staying for dinner as well, I hope? Sota will be so excited to see you."

The hanyou nodded. "Of course," he answered. "I will be happy to see Sota. Where is the little rugrat anyway?"

Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "Oh, he's still at school. He should be getting off soon, though."

As Mrs. Higurashi turned her attention away from Inuyasha, her eyes rested on the fox demon behind him. Kagome quickly moved to the demon's side.

"Mom, this is Shippo," she introduced.

"Shippo?" the woman asked. "Is he that little guy you used to tell me about? The one with the bushy tail that Inuyasha used to beat up on?"

Kagome nodded as Shippo smiled and held out his hand. "I'm not so little anymore," he informed the woman. "And Inuyasha hasn't done anything like that to me in a long time."

Mrs. Higurashi laughed as she accepted his hand and shook it. "I suppose if he tried you'd just beat him back, right?"

"He could try," the hanyou piped in causing the woman to laugh some more.

* * *

Dinner was an interesting affair. Koga continued to shoot glares toward Inuyasha and, quite honestly, it was starting to piss Kagome off. Thankfully, her family did not seem to notice the looks the wolf gave the hanyou, but her mother had noticed Kagome's descent into anger.

Finally, when Kagome felt she could take it no longer, she slammed her cup on the table. Everyone stared at her in shock. "Kagome?" her mother asked with a voice full of concern.

The priestess stood up from the table. "Koga. My room. Now!" she snarled as she left the table.

Koga glanced at the other people at the table. "What did I do?" he asked though no one could provide an answer.

Inuyasha looked at his plate. "It's best not to keep her waiting," he told the wolf. "Last time I did that, she nearly threw my back out."

"Again," Shippo agreed.

Mrs. Higurashi placed a reassuring hand upon Koga's. "I wouldn't worry too much, dear," she said to him. "Just remember. Kagome loves you. If she's angry about something, it's very much more about herself than you. But Inuyasha and Shippo are right. The longer you make her wait, the angrier she will become. I'm afraid she inherited my temper."

Koga nodded as he stood up from the table. "I will keep that in mind, Higurashi-sama," he promised as he turned from the table and made his way up the stairs.

He found her sitting on her bed. She was fiddling with a small wooden figurine. "Where'd you get that?" he asked her as he closed the door behind him.

"Shippo made it for me," she replied. She didn't seem as angry as she was before, but he could still smell it on her. "It's Sango. He also made me Miroku. He told me that when I need guidance: that I could hold them and they would hear my thoughts and show me the path I should follow."

He took a step closer to her and she shot a glare in his direction. Koga froze. He asked, "What did I do, babe? Did I say something to make you angry?"

She looked away from him as she shook her head. She clenched the small figurine tighter. "It's more my own fault, I suppose," she murmured.

Koga raised an eyebrow. Instead of moving to the bed, he chose to walk over to the desk. It was the better option and he knew he made the right choice as he sat in the chair. "Why do you say that?" he inquired.

"I just…" she started, and then stopped. She stared at the figurine. "One of the things that always drove me crazy about Inuyasha was his unending desire to seek out Kikyo. No matter where we were or what we were doing, he was always thinking about her and he would stop everything to run to her. It would make me so mad, so jealous."

Her eyebrows wrinkled in anger as she continued, "I just never understood it. I couldn't get what it was about her that made her so damn better than me. At least I was alive. At least I was real. She was just a bit of clay with the soul of a woman who had died fifty years before… It took me a long time to overcome that jealousy. In the end I realized that, yes, Inuyasha loved her. He had loved her and he felt responsible for her death. That was why he always chased after her. He thought he was the only one who could help her find peace."

Koga nodded. He remembered talking to Shippo once about Inuyasha and Kikyo. He understood where the hanyou was coming from in that regard. "It must have been hard for him," he murmured as he glanced at her.

Kagome looked at him and nodded. "It was really hard for him," she agreed. "In the end, Kikyo did find peace. That's all that mattered to him, I think. He still loves her, though. I can see it in his eyes when her name is mentioned. There's a sadness there. A deep longing for what might have been."

The wolf prince thought he started to understand where she was going. "You feel the same, don't you?" he asked her. "If you wish to be with him… I won't stand in the way."

Her calmness changed rapidly. "Would you stop playing the damn martyr, you stupid wolf?" she shouted. "How many times do I have to tell you that I love you before you'll believe me? I'm choosing to marry you, Koga. I don't have to. We were looking for Inuyasha. I could have easily told you to go piss off in that space center when I saw him again. I didn't."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I love you!" she growled in frustration. "Yes, at one time I loved Inuyasha. He was the first guy I ever fell in love with, I will admit that. In a lot of ways, I still do love him. There will always be a special place in my heart for him."

Koga had heard her proclamation of love for him and he tried to hold on to that string. He closed his eyes and bowed his head. He did not like the idea of sharing her heart with another man. At the same time, he guessed it was something he would have to get used to. He hadn't been lucky enough to meet her before Inuyasha had.

He felt her hands take his and opened his eyes. He didn't have time to say anything before her lips were upon his. He lifted one hand and touched her cheek before pulling her closer to him and deepening the kiss.

He could feel hot tears rolling down her cheeks and he desperately wanted to remove them. He had never wanted to be the cause of those tears, and yet somehow he had managed it. Guilt plagued him as he pulled her even closer causing her to sit in his lap.

When she finally broke the kiss, she buried her face in his shoulder. "Life doesn't always work out the way we plan," she said to him. "I used to think the sun and moon revolved around Inuyasha and no one could light a candle to him."

Koga wrapped his arms around her and made the wise choice of just listening to her. She continued, "I wanted to marry him. Wanted to be with him. Then I saw you in that coffee shop. You were five hundred years older than the last time I saw you. And yet, your eyes still lit up when you realized it was me there."

She played with his shirt collar as she rested her head. "When you asked me to give you a chance, I thought, 'Why the hell not?' It was the best decision I have ever made. I got to know you more and I fell in love with you. This love… it's different from anything I felt towards Inuyasha. I'm happy when you're around. I feel calm and safe. I can be who I am without worrying about you judging me. You're good to me and you know how to treat me. You get me."

He chuckled. It felt so good to have her so close to him. "At least, I try," he admitted. "Some of the things you do confuse me, but I'm learning. I know what it's like to be on the receiving end of unrequited love."

She sat up and gazed into his eyes. "I'm sorry," she said. "I never should have…"

"It's ok," he assured her as he touched her cheek. "We were both young and more than a bit naïve. All that matters is we're together now. I am sorry for being so jealous over Inuyasha. I guess I just… hated the fact that he got to know you first. I hated, and still do hate, that he was able to spend so much time with you."

She closed her eyes as she pressed her cheek against the palm of his hand. "Now you are the one spending that time with me," she told him. "You're the one I choose to spend the rest of my life with. Inuyasha… He's… a schoolgirl's fantasy. You are the only one that's real to me. You're the only one that makes sense in my life."

Hearing those words come from her mouth was almost more than he could take. For a moment, he wondered if he was dreaming this conversation. He quickly decided that he did not care. If it was a dream, he hoped to never awaken. He brought his lips to hers and kissed her again. Then he stood up, careful to not drop her, and carried her to the bed.

He knew the promise he had made to her mother and he intended to keep that promise. However, he wanted to feel her body close to his. To kiss her, touch her, and revel in fact that she was in his arms. He swore to himself, no matter what, he would never let her go.

He laid her gently on the bed without letting go of her lips. As his body meshed against hers, he could not help but feel that everything was finally going right for him. For the first time in his life, and he had lived for a very long time, Koga felt truly happy.


	16. Part 16

Inuyasha sat at the bottom of the stair and stared up in the direction he knew Kagome's bedroom was. Though their voices were faint, he had heard pretty much everything Kagome and Koga had said. While he loathed being compared to a fantasy for some brat, he felt a twinge of pain in his heart. In the matter of a few months, he had lost any chance at all that he had of her being his.

He did not blame Kagome. In all reality, he knew he was at fault. All that time he spent chasing after Kikyo, never once did he stop to think of how Kagome felt. It hadn't mattered to him at the time. All that mattered was seeing Kikyo.

He should have come to the shrine two years ago. He knew how old she had been the last time he had seen her on the other side of the well. He should have come to her.

He was too cowardly. The reality of mortality struck a chord in Inuyasha and he felt that it would be best to leave her be. He just could not bear the thought of watching her grow old. He did not want to see her die.

Shippo had asked Inuyasha on several occasions for her family name and where she lived. Every time, Inuyasha refused to tell him. _"Let her alone, Shippo. It's better this way."_

The two had fought countless times and many of those times, they had both walked away with their own shares of bruises and cuts. In the end, however, Shippo had been right.

That is what pissed Inuyasha off the most. He should have been the one to figure it out. He should have had the courage to face her. He should not have left her alone. He should not have abandoned her.

He heard her bedroom door open and shut and could smell Koga walking down the hallway. The hanyou stood up and waited for his long time rival.

As Koga stood at the top of the stairs, he stared down at Inuyasha. He was not surprised to see the hanyou. His eyes narrowed as he started down the stair.

"She's sleeping," the wolf warned with a low growl.

Inuyasha nodded. "I know," he said. "I have no intention of bothering her. I was actually hoping to talk to you."

Wolf and dog stood face to face at the bottom of the staircase. Koga folded his arms as he glared at Inuyasha. "You got a lot of nerve showing back up in her life, Mutt," he growled.

The hanyou snorted. "How was I supposed to know it was her on the other end of the computer?" he asked.

"Cut the crap," Koga snapped. "You think I'm stupid enough to think it was an accident? I've seen her profile page. She's got a fucking white Akita as her avatar! Never mind the fact that her city is Tokyo and her location is a fucking shrine. Besides that, her likes, hobbies, and personal description scream Kagome… As much as I'd like to believe you are, you're not an idiot. You knew who it was."

Inuyasha sighed as he looked away from the wolf prince. "I just… I wanted her to live a normal life."

Koga raised an eyebrow. "She'll never live a normal life," he commented. "She's the priestess who destroyed the Shikon no Tama and Naraku. She's a mortal who was able to travel five hundred years in the past. Where, and how, is she expected to live a normal life?"

The hanyou shoved Koga away from him. "Would you get out of my face?" he snarled. "I did what I did to protect her, asshole. I wanted her to be happy, to be safe. That's all I've ever wanted for her. Maybe I went about it the wrong way, but it's done."

"You're right," Koga agreed with a nod. "It is done. She's happy and safe. She's with _me_. And she'll be with me…"

"Until the day she dies," Inuyasha sneered. "You still have no idea of how to keep her alive."

Koga's eyes narrowed and became tinted with red as he drew his lips back in a snarl. "I won't let her die."

Inuyasha nodded as he walked to the front door. "Yeah, good luck with that," he said as he pulled the door open.

It still amazed Inuyasha with how fast Koga was. He hadn't even seen the prince move and yet, Koga blocked the hanyou's exit. The wolf's eyes had adjusted back to their blue colour.

"I've looked through your binder. You haven't a clue either, do you?" he asked.

Inuyasha shook his head. "That's why I want to return to my mother's home. I think she and my father might have been on to something, but I don't know where the rest of the notes are," he said.

Koga tilted his head curiously. "The rest of the notes? I thought you had everything in your father's journal."

The hanyou shrugged. "I think there are missing pages," he said. "And there might be another journal somewhere, I just don't know where."

"Why are you so interested in this? In helping us?" the wolf asked suspiciously.

Inuyasha snorted. "I'm not helping _you_," he snapped. Then, much calmer, he added, "It had been my idea, after I got off the alcohol, to find the answer to this mortality thing. If I could find a solution and give it to her, then she and I could be together forever. Now that she's with you… My only concern is Kagome. If she's happy with you, then that's fine. However, I want to complete this quest and find a way to save her from her current fate of death. She… She deserves that much from me."

Koga nodded and stepped to the side to allow Inuyasha to pass. As the hanyou stepped out into the cool night air, he glanced over his shoulder at the wolf. "I would be grateful, Koga," he said, "if you allowed me to continue to be her friend."

The wolf pinched his lips together and nodded. "You'll always be her friend, Inuyasha. And you'll always be welcomed in our home."

* * *

As Kagome opened her eyes, she was surprised to find a boutique of pink and white flowers on her nightstand. She sat up, stretched, and took a closer look at the flowers. In the mix there were white carnations and zinnias, and pink roses and tulips. In the middle of the flowers was a card.

"_Kagome…_"

Curious, she gently picked the card out and opened it. Her eyes watered as a smile played across her lips.

"_Here is the hope that we will remain friends for always. I am sorry for the pain I have caused you. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. ~Inuyasha_"

She placed the card back in its holder and gazed at the flowers. Inuyasha had really grown up.

With that thought in mind, Kagome stood up and began getting ready for the day.

* * *

"Where does this mug go?" Koga asked as he dried off the item in question.

Mrs. Higurashi glanced at him. "In the cabinet to the right," she answered as she turned her attention back to the sink.

Koga opened the cabinet and placed the mug next to the others like it before grabbing another mug to dry. Mrs. Higurashi smiled at him. "Thank you so much, Koga. You really did not have to help me with these."

The wolf prince shrugged. "It's the least I can do," he told her. "Especially after that wonderful breakfast you cooked. It was really delicious and very much appreciated, Higurashi-sama."

Her smile widened as she giggled. "Thank you," she said with a blush. Her face became slightly serious. "I'm curious about something, Koga. I know demons are not really known to have family names, but I assume since you live and work amongst humans, that you have one. What is your family name?"

"It's a name that is highly unoriginal," he laughed. "My wolves and I did not really know what to call ourselves so we have taken the name Ookami as our family name."

She giggled. "I suppose that makes sense," she commented." Let me see… Ookami Kagome… Hmmm. Well, I think it sounds rather nice."

Koga's smile widened. "It does, doesn't it?" he agreed.

As he placed the last mug in the cabinet, his eyebrows furrowed. "I've been thinking," he said to her. "I know I am to wait until after she's finished school before we marry, but…"

"I know what you're going to ask," the woman interrupted him. "I've been thinking a lot about it as well."

He glanced up at her and watched as she walked to the table and sat down at it. She stared at her hands as she continued, "Kagome has always been a wonderful child. When she was young, she used to be very passionate about school and helping Father and I around the shrine. As she grew older, I saw her passion transfer to the Feudal Era and helping Inuyasha with their little quest."

She sighed. "I do not know everything that happened while she was in that time. To be honest, I do not think I _want_ to. The idea that she had ever been in danger frightens me deeply. To know she is safe now makes me happy; and to know she is happy warms my heart.

"I know the two of you met during that time. I also know that you saved her life many times. You cannot begin to fathom how much I appreciate what you've done for her. A mother's love for her daughter is tough. We watch our babies grow, protect them from the monsters under their beds, and guide them on their paths. I must have died a thousand deaths when she would return begging for medical supplies for her and her friends. It pained me to watch her leave each time."

She looked up at Koga and made eye contact with him. "You've made her happy, Koga," she said. "I've never seen her light up the way she does around you… She will be eighteen in less than a month. At that time, she will be an adult and old enough to make her own choices in life. If you wish to marry her then, well, that's between the two of you. I do not know how it works among demons, but among humans it is unlawful to marry a minor."

He nodded. "I know," he told her. "I just wanted your consent to marry her before she finished school rather than after."

She gave him a tight smile. "It will be her choice, not mine," she stated. "But you do have my blessing. You're a good man, Koga. Or… rather… wolf… demon."

She giggled. "I am still trying to get used to that, I'm afraid," she said through her giggles. Once she calmed down and became more serious, she asked, "Kagome said you were a 'wolf prince,' but she also said you were the leader. How does that work?"

He sat down at the table across from her. "I am the leader of my tribe," he explained. "Long ago, when the last of the elders passed away, I became the full and only leader. Technically, I should be the lord, or chief, of my pack. However, I cannot do that so long as I've not taken a mate. Once Kagome becomes my mate, or wife, I will become the chief and she will be my queen."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded. "So it works much like human tribes, then," she commented. "I'm surprised you weren't asked to take a wife before all of your elders died."

"Oh, I was," he informed her. "In fact, there was one wolf in particular who hated the idea that I would be sole leader without a wife. She tried to seduce me quite a few times. And once, she almost succeeded."

"What made you turn her down in the end?"

He stared down at his own hands as he thought of that fateful night. "She wasn't Kagome."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Inuyasha's growing up, Koga's growing up, and Mrs. Higurashi is letting her daughter go. Lots of deep emotions at play here. I would love to hear your thoughts about this, so, please, lemme know what you think. (Or, rather, read. Can't exactly "hear" your thoughts seeing as this is . :)


	17. Part 17

Koga watched as Kagome played with the two female wolf pups. A smile fluttered across his features as he imagined how she would be with their own children. In his mind's eye, he saw the little pups, both blue eyed and black haired, as they ran around their mother. He could hear their giggles.

There was no room in his dreams for her mortality, so he did not think of it. Instead, he imagined her a few hundred years from now. She was even more beautiful, more divine. Their children were getting older and starting families of their own. Koga had a magnificent pack and he never had to worry about Kagome's safety.

"Kagome," he called out to her from the back door.

She glanced up and then laughed as one of the pups jumped upon her back. "Aren't they adorable?" she asked as the other pup jumped into her arms and licked her face.

Koga smirked. "More like incorrigible," he commented. "I just got off the phone with Ginta. He and Hakkaku have entered the gates and they are on their way here. You should probably come inside and wash up."

She looked at him curiously. "Why?" she inquired with a laugh. The pup on her back was nuzzling the back of her neck.

"They brought food," the wolf prince said.

Not surprisingly, the two pups jumped off of Kagome and dashed into the house with their tails wagging. The priestess laughed as she approached Koga. "On a good note, they behave when food is involved," she told him as she kissed him softly on the lips.

As they walked into the house, Koga smirked as he saw the two pups sitting excitedly at the table. They had transformed into their humanoid forms and had the typical pointed ears and fluffy tail that all wolf demons had.

"Neither of you will get a bite of food if your hands are dirty," Kagome warned. "So you better wash up."

The pups immediately bounded from the table and into the bathroom where they washed their hands and wiped their faces. They were back to the table within moments. "Kagome-sama, may I have the head?" asked the younger of the two pups.

The other pup frowned. "But I wanted the head!" she whined.

Before they could start fighting, the priestess put a hand up. "I have an idea," she told them. "When Ginta comes in, I'll have Koga cut the head in half and you'll both get a piece of it."

Koga smirked. "Or you could cut it," he suggested and earned himself a glare.

Kagome pointed a finger at him. "You are lucky…"

She was interrupted as Ginta and Hakkaku barged into the house. One wolf had a deer over his shoulder while the other carried a boar. Both were covered in blood.

Kagome scrunched up her nose and, before they could put the carcasses on the table, she instructed, "You can put both of those things on the porch outside. They needed to be cleaned, sliced, and prepared."

The pups whimpered as the wolves, clearly exhausted, went to the back porch and dropped the carcasses on the concrete. Then Hakkaku held out a large pheasant to Kagome. "I got this for you, Sis," he told her. "I know you don't eat a lot, so I thought this would be perfect for you."

The priestess smiled as she reluctantly took the bird by a foot. "Thank you, Hakkaku. That was… so… kind of you."

Koga laughed as he went to a kitchen drawer and pulled out a carving knife. He held out a hand for the pheasant. "Here, I'll clean that up for you, babe. It won't take me long and then you can cook it to your heart's desire," he told her.

Kagome gratefully handed him the bird before turning her attention back to the pups. "While we're waiting for Koga to finish, why don't you two set the table, huh?"

The pups shared a confused look before staring at her. To help them understand what she meant, the priestess went to the kitchen cabinet and took out some plates. Then she opened one of the drawers and pulled out some forks and knives.

The two pups quickly caught on to what she was doing and rushed to take over for her. While they busied themselves with setting the table, Kagome took out a pot, filled it with water, and, setting the pot on the burner, turned on the stove. While she waited for the water to start boiling, she took out a smaller pot, filled it with water, and also put it on the stove.

"Kagome-sama, what are you doing?" asked one of the pups as she watched the priestess in amazement.

Kagome went to the refrigerator and pulled out some fresh broccoli and carrots. "You may enjoy eating raw food," she answered. "But I like having mine cooked and prepared."

They watched her as she sliced and diced a mixture of vegetables, including an onion, a piece of garlic, some cauliflower, mushrooms, the broccoli and carrots, and some small red potatoes. By the time she was done with that, the pots were boiling and Koga was finished with the bird.

She took the bird from him and carefully put it into the big pot before covering the pot with a lid. While that boiled, she lowered the heat on the smaller pot and put the broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and potatoes in it. She pulled out a pan and turned on another burner. With the pan, she began to sauté the onion, garlic, and mushrooms.

"Hey, Sis, what'cha cooking?" Ginta asked.

She barely spared him a glance as she stirred the mushroom concoction. "Just a little something I'm making up as I go," she answered. "You and Hakkaku need to go clean up. You both smell like death and you'll make me lose my appetite. Koga should be finished carving up those beasts shortly."

The smells of her cooking caught Koga by surprise as he reentered the house. He knew better than to approach her while he was covered in blood. He growled at the two pups. "Neither of you are to touch that meat until I say so," he warned.

They nodded as they watched him disappear up the stairs. The older pup watched Kagome in fascination. "Kagome-sama, may I try a bit of that when you are done?" she asked.

Kagome flashed her a smile as she scraped the mushroom mixture into the pot of vegetables. "Of course you may," she replied as she stirred the mixture. "I can't promise it'll be good, though. This is just something I'm making up."

The wolf pup nodded and continued to watch the priestess. She frowned as she heard the water upstairs turn on. "What's Koga-sama doing? Why is he taking a bath?" she asked as she wrinkled her nose.

Kagome glanced up at the ceiling as she smiled. He never ceased to surprise her. "He probably wants to get the blood off his skin," she answered.

She checked on the bird and looked up at the clock. "It should be done by the time he comes down. I hope he realizes that I do not intend on waiting for him. I'm starving."

She turned to the pups and saw Ginta and Hakkaku sitting patiently at the table. "I can only imagine how hungry the four of you are," she added.

"But Koga-sama said we're not to touch the meat until he comes down," the younger wolf pup stated.

Kagome raised a finger and nodded. "You're right and we must obey him. He is our leader, after all."

Ginta frowned. "He's not your leader, Sis," he pointed out. "You don't have to obey him. You're his mate, his equal."

"Yeah," Hakkaku agreed. "You can do whatever you want."

Kagome tilted her head as she thought about this for a moment. "Yes," she acknowledged, "this is true. However, what sort of example would I be setting if I disobeyed him? I may be his equal, but I am also a role model for the pack. I am his co-captain and whatever he says is law."

"But you just said…"

"I was joking, Ginta," the priestess said. "I would not start eating without Koga. That would be rude. We can wait."

The wolves heard the shower shut off and the two pups bolted from their chairs and towards the back door. Kagome quickly blocked their paths and stared at them angrily. She pointed at the table. "Go sit down," she ordered.

"But Koga-sama…"

"Is not here yet, is he?" the priestess interrupted. "You sit and you wait. He'll be down here soon enough and he'll help me bring the food to the table."

The two girls bowed their heads and turned back to the table. Kagome did not move from her spot as the seconds ticked by.

When Koga came down the stair, he was amused to see the priestess standing by the back door and the four wolves looking properly cowed. If he had had any doubts about her ability to handle his pack, they vanished in that moment. She reminded him of an alpha she-wolf and he liked the imagery that came to his mind. He pulled the towel off of his shoulders as he approached his beautiful fiancée and kissed her on the forehead. "Have they behaved themselves?" he asked her.

She glanced up at him and nodded. "As much as you can expect from a bunch of wolves," she responded.

He smirked as he stepped passed her and went out the door. While he went to get the raw meat, she took the bird out of the pot and placed it on a large plate. She handed him some large plates as well and he nodded his thanks.

As they placed the plates of food onto the table, Koga growled at the younger wolves. "Wait," he snarled, seeing the older female reach for a deer thigh.

Kagome placed the plate of bird on the table before turning to get the pot of veggies. She grabbed the pot with two pot holders and put it on the table as well. Then she went to the kitchen drawers and pulling out some tongs, which she placed with the raw meat, and a clean carving knife and holding fork.

"Koga, would you mind carving the bird for me please?" she asked. "I've never been good with knives."

"Of course, babe," he replied as he took the knife and fork from her and began cutting the bird into smaller pieces.

The younger wolf pup whimpered. "Koga-sama, may we eat now, please?" she begged.

He glanced at Kagome who took the pot of veggies and began spooning vegetables onto each person's plate. The older pup made a face and Kagome was quick to reprimand her, "If you do not like it, you won't be forced to eat all of it, but don't turn your nose at something you haven't even tried."

Once the vegetables had been dished out, Koga and Kagome began dividing up the raw meat between the five wolves. Koga had ordered that no one take a bite until he and Kagome were seated and he gave the all-clear.

Kagome placed a few slices of bird on the two girls' plates before putting some on her own plate. After Koga and Kagome finished filling up each of the plates, they sat down at the table. Koga sat at the head of the table while Kagome sat exactly opposite of him. He smiled as he said, "We can eat now."

* * *

After dinner, Kagome helped the wolf pups bathe and put them to bed in the spare room. Hakkaku and Ginta washed, dried, and put away the dishes. Koga… well… he took out the garbage.

Now Kagome and Koga lounged on the couch while watching the nightly news. He had an arm around her and she rested her legs across his. It was peaceful.

Kagome frowned as the newscaster reported two murders and a drunk driving accident. There were times in her life when she truly questioned the human race. She sighed as she rested her head on Koga's chest.

The news anchor changed the subject to the weather and Kagome smiled. "It'll be a beautiful day tomorrow," the priestess commented. "Perhaps we could go to the water park or something."

Koga smiled and nodded. "That sounds like fun," he agreed.

He rubbed her arm and she could feel the sudden change in his touch. She sat up and met his eyes. "Koga…"

He touched her cheek with the back of his hand before cupping her jaw and bringing her closer for a kiss. The air around them sparked with electricity as he pulled her body under his and they lay on the couch. She could feel his manhood press against her as he wrapped her legs around his waist.

She broke the kiss as she arched her back. "Koga!" she gasped.

He smiled as he licked her throat. He knew he would never tire of hearing her scream his name in pleasure. He pressed his body more urgently against hers. Though they were both fully clothed, he could feel her arousal by the softening of her womanhood. He slipped a hand beneath her skirt and smirked when he felt how wet she had become.

He groaned. "I love you so much, Kagome," he breathed against her neck.

She gazed down at him and cupped his face in her hands. She lifted his face upward and met his lips with hers. One of her hands swept down his arm and grabbed his hand that was buried in her jeans. She clutched his wrist and gently pulled on it.

He broke the kiss and looked at her. "What would you like me to do?" he asked.

She tugged at his wrist again. "There are children sleeping in the spare room, Koga," she whispered. "I don't think it'd be a good idea to continue."

He pursed his lips. "They are sleeping," he commented as he wrinkled his brow.

"Yes, they are," she agreed as she nodded. "That doesn't mean they will stay asleep."

He raised an eyebrow. "One day we'll have our own children. Do you plan to deny my advances when they are in our home?"

She shook her head. "That's different, Koga," she said. "These children do not belong to us. You promised their parents you would not let harm come to them."

He sniffed. "And no harm will," he said.

She cupped his jaw. "And what will you tell their parents if they walk in on us while we are like this?"

"We are a young couple and this is our home," he answered as though it was obvious.

Kagome pushed at his chest and followed him to a sitting position. "You are the leader, Koga," she told him. "Your virtues and morals reflect upon your pack. If those girls see us and we are not married, what do you think they will think? What do you think will happen in the future when their father and mother wish them to take husbands? You cannot expect those girls to have good morals if you do not."

His pants were tented and he wanted so badly to press against her again. He knew she was right, though. He had to be the morally conscience one in the tribe. He was the leader, the chief. He took her hands into his.

"You're right," he pronounced. His eyebrows furrowed as he thought of how he was going to bring the subject up. "We are not married yet," he said. "Your mother and I… we spoke yesterday over breakfast. I wanted to talk to you about it sooner, but there was just too much going on."

Kagome waited patiently for him to continue. He seemed… nervous. She kissed his knuckles for reassurance. He gave her a half smile.

"I love you, Kagome," he uttered. "And I know you love me. I also know how important it is for you to finish school and you have my full support."

She frowned. "But? I hear a 'but' in there."

He sighed. "I want to be married to you," he admitted. "I spoke to your mother and even she agrees. Once you turn eighteen, you are legally an adult. We could marry and you could still finish school. There would be nothing stopping us or holding us back from being husband and wife. Your mother… she's given her blessing and says that the choice will be yours to make."

Her eyes watered. She knew why he wanted to hurry the wedding. After all, with her mortality, they only had so much time together. What she failed to realize was that he wasn't even thinking of her mortality.

With a nod, she whispered, "We can marry earlier if you wish."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ok. I really have no idea what Kagome cooked as far as the veggies go. I was thinking of some sort of stew, but I don't think that's it. It's just a weird concoction that popped in my head. I do not eat veggies, but if anyone is willing to cook it and lemme know what'cha think, be my guest! I'd love to read your thoughts on it.

Also, I do not have names for the wolf pups. Hopefully, by the next chapter, I will have thought of something. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to lemme know. To give you a bit of an idea of who the pups are, while the parents are members of Koga's pack, their father is Koga's biological brother. (Though Kagome doesn't really know this and it doesn't really matter to Koga or their father since Koga is the alpha. In fact, Koga doesn't really think of this and has probably forgotten this information since he sees the entire pack as his brothers and sisters.)

One last thing. I'm kinda surprised that no one commented about Inuyasha's thoughts or anything in the last chapter. I guess Koga's sweetness overshadowed Inuyasha. Lol! (I'm sure Koga would be thrilled if he knew that one.)

And Happy, I want a Koga, too. I think we all do.


	18. Part 18

Kagome pressed a scanner in Koga's hand as she picked up the other. The saleslady smiled and instructed, "Now, when you see something you'd like, just scan it. You can scan it however many times you wish and it will come up with that quantity in the system."

"Thank you," Kagome said graciously as she led Koga down one of the aisles.

He stared at the scanner and the glanced up at Kagome. "What are these for again?" he asked.

"The registry," she answered for the hundredth time.

He tilted his head to the side. "You know, babe," he commented, "we don't need a registry. Anything you want, we can buy ourselves."

She huffed in annoyance, "The point, _dear_, of a wedding shower is for guests to bring the engaged couple gifts for their home."

"And who's idea was it to throw a wedding shower?" he questioned as he scanned some random item. The machine made a beeping noise and Koga smirked. It worked.

"Koga!" the priestess reprimanded as she snatched the figurine out of his hand and placed it back on the shelf. "Be serious! What do you need a figure of a naked woman for?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I can think of a number of things," he stated, earning him a slap. He laughed. "I'm joking, babe. Lighten up. Besides, I can only think of one woman I'd like to see naked."

"Koga!"

He chuckled as he followed her into the dishware. "We already have a set of dishes," he pointed out as she gazed at the different types.

She snorted. "You mean those plastic things that melted in the dishwasher?" she inquired as she picked up a dish with blue scrolling around the edges. "My mother used to say that good luck comes to the bride and groom who receives good china. And I would like to get some dishes that can hold their own against the dishwasher and microwave."

"Are you still angry about that? Ginta and Hakkaku apologized many times," he said as he remembered the night the two wolves cleaned the dishes.

She shook her head as she put the dish back and picked up a plate with gold foil. "I never was angry with them," she admitted. "They could not have known the dishes would melt. In all honesty, there isn't a doubt in my mind that even _you_ did not know."

She imagined how the kitchen would look. Koga had told her she could decorate the house however she wanted. So, she tried to picture what type of china would go best with the kitchen in her mind.

Koga smirked. "Do you intend on making us civilized?" he asked as he saw a black plate with brown stripes he thought looked cool.

She glanced at him and shook her head. "It'd be too hard to try to 'civilize' all you wolves," she commented as she put the plate back.

She turned and shrieked. Koga jumped and grabbed the bowl he nearly knocked over. "Babe? Are you ok?" he asked.

A wide smile spread across her face as she carefully strode to the wall and picked up a plate. "Oh, this is perfect!" she said. She looked for the price tag and scanned it.

He frowned as he realized that he was in the wrong store. Shopping for these domestic things was more for Kagome.

"Kagome!" screeched a girl halfway across the store.

Koga looked up as Kagome screamed in excitement and dashed towards the girl. He watched as the two females hugged one another and bounced in unison. With an eyebrow raised, the wolf prince approached the two giggling females.

"Oh! Yes," Kagome laughed. "Ayumi, this is my fiancé Koga. Koga, this is one of my oldest schoolmates and really close friend."

"Fiancé?" Ayumi questioned as she shook Koga's hand. "Kagome, you never told us you were getting married."

The priestess cringed. "It's been a crazy summer," she admitted.

The girl nodded. "Well, I think you should tell Eri and Yuka. They are here and they'll be angry you didn't tell us sooner. What happened with Inuyasha? I thought you were dating him?"

Koga stiffened, but Kagome placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "Inuyasha and I are still friends," she answered. "We had our time, but it's over now. Besides, Koga is such a wonderful man. I love him so much more than I've ever loved Inuyasha."

Ayumi smiled. "That's good to know," she said. "I was always so worried about you when you were with him. Didn't Inuyasha cheat on you a lot? Koga doesn't do that, does he?"

The wolf prince noticed the girl was giving him a suspicious glare and thought it was time to set the record straight. "I would never treat Kagome the way that mutt did. My heart belongs to her and her alone," he said.

Ayumi blushed as her eyes widened and she smiled. "Oh, Kagome, you are so lucky to find someone so wonderful," she announced.

"Whoa!" exclaimed another girl as she and her friend approached them. This girl, whose hair was shorter than the others, stared at Koga. "Who's the hunk? And where can I find me one?"

"Yuka!" Ayumi hissed.

Koga laughed out loud. Kagome sniffed at him. "This is my soon-to-be husband, Koga," she told the short-haired girl. "Koga, this is Yuka and Eri."

Yuka's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean you finally left that two-timing scoundrel?"

"And she found her Prince Charming," Ayumi added, her hands clasped together.

The wolf prince gave a mock bow and the priestess nodded. Eri sighed. "Well, he is better looking than Inuyasha, that's for sure," she said. "At least you won't have to worry about your children going prematurely grey."

Kagome choked as Koga laughed harder. He pointed a thumb at the girls. "I like them," he said through his laughter.

The priestess rolled her eyes and decided to change the subject. "I put your invitations to my shower in the mail today," she told them. "I hope you come."

"Oh, we wouldn't miss it for the world, Kagome," Ayumi reassured her.

Yuka, completely oblivious to Koga's laughter, or not caring, asked, "Will there be other hunks like him there?"

The wolf prince straightened and smirked. "I believe I can convince some of my single brothers to show up."

Kagome shook her head. There was no point in arguing with him in front of her friends. They wouldn't understand and might take it the wrong way anyway.

Ayumi gazed at Koga curiously. "How many brothers do you have?" she asked.

Kagome stopped and looked at the demon. Koga just shrugged. "Several," he answered. Seeing the shocked expressions on the three females' faces, he laughed. "They are not biological brothers. They are friends, like the four of you are."

Yuka smirked. "Do you have any biological brothers that are single?"

"Yuka!" both Ayumi and Kagome reprimanded.

Koga chuckled then placed a finger on his chin as he thought about it. "Let's see, I believe I have two brothers," he said mostly to himself. "One of them died a long time ago, so he's not available. Then there's… No, wait! I have three brothers. There's Tsuyoi, who is married. You met him, Kagome. He's the father of those pups we watched."

Kagome's eyes lit up. "Oh!"

"Then Bofu died," Koga continued. "Remember those birds, babe? They were responsible for him and my parents."

The priestess gave Koga a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry," she said to him.

He snapped his fingers and pointed to Yuka. "Kizoku," he told her. "He's my younger brother, but I think you'd like him. He's not mated to anyone."

Kagome gave him a tight smile. "Koga? May I speak to you privately for a moment, please?" she asked.

"Sure, babe," he said as she pulled him away.

She held up a finger to her friends "Just give us one moment, please."

Once they were a bit away from her friends, Kagome hissed, "Are you sure it's a good idea to introduce them to Kizoku?"

Koga shrugged. "He's not a bad guy," he said.

She shook her head. "I know he's not a bad guy," she agreed. "But he's a wolf demon, Koga. These girls are mortals. Even more, they aren't going to understand the fact that he's a demon and will outlive all three of them. And what if one of them falls in love with him? Then what? We can't even figure out how to make it so I don't die on you. Do you really want Kizoku to go through that as well?"

Koga frowned. "I'm going to find a way to make your life as long as mine," he assured her. "And what I do find, we can use for Kizoku if he falls in love with one of them. There isn't even a guarantee that it will happen. Kizoku… well, he likes the attention of mortal women fawning over him, but he never takes that stuff seriously. Besides, he's already stated many times that he wants to marry a female of the clan, another wolf demon."

"Isn't that what you wanted as well at one time?" she questioned.

He shrugged. "Maybe, but…"

"Then how do you know that he won't see one of these girls and change his mind?" She sighed. "I'm happy that you like my friends, but I don't need you giving them false hopes."

He glared at her. "It's not a false hope, Kagome," he growled. "Do as you wish. Let them come to the house or don't. I don't care. I have already told you. I won't let you die. And if Kizoku finds love with one of your friends, then so be it. She won't die, either."

With that, he clutched the scanner in his hands and stormed away. Kagome sighed as she watched him walk away. She felt her friends walk up beside her.

"Kagome, is everything ok?" Eri asked with concern in her eyes.

The priestess closed her eyes and nodded. "He's just angry because I brought him into a 'girly' store," she lied. She opened her eyes and gave them an impish smirk. "Wanna help me pick out some kitchenware and linens?"

The girls nodded excitedly and the four friends began their shopping spree.

* * *

The car ride home was quiet and Kagome watched the cars passing by out the window. She had been happy to see her friends, but she knew it wouldn't be a good idea for them to meet Koga's brother.

Truth be told, regardless of what Koga said, Kagome still had her doubts about this immortality thing. She honestly did not believe they would find anything. Inuyasha had searched for 500 years and still came up short. There wasn't even a guarantee that such an item that could grant immortality existed.

They pulled up to the gates and Koga typed his password into the little number box. As the gates opened, Kagome saw Katzu watering his lawn and she waved at him. He smiled at her and waved back.

The entire subdivision was so calm and peaceful. It was then that Kagome noticed a difference.

When the priestess first came to the pack's land, the homes were rundown and falling apart. There had been graffiti on some houses and the lawns had been overgrown or bare. Even the trees had lacked a luster for life and had seemed on the verge of snapping.

Now the subdivision seemed to bloom with life. Gone were the rundown and ragged houses. In their place stood neatly kept structures with nicely mowed lawns and green grass. The trees were full of green leaves and stood upright and magnificent. Everything looked new and fresh. Even the air was crisp and clean.

Kagome stepped out of the car and looked up at the house that she was learning to call home. The change was there as well. No longer did the siding look cracked and weathered. The paint was smooth, clean, and bright.

"Koga? Did you paint the house?" she asked as she placed a hand on one of the columns that held up the porch.

He glanced at her curiously and shook his head. "Well, I didn't," he corrected himself as he opened the door to the house. "When we left for America, the pack took it upon themselves to straighten up the land. They wanted to make it more welcome and inviting. They wanted to give you a reason to return and stay."

Her eyebrows furrowed as her lips pursed. "They did all of this for me? Why?"

He frowned as he tilted his head. "Don't you get it?" he asked her. "You are the alpha female. They want to keep you. They love you just as much as I do. You mean everything to us all, babe. No one here wants to lose you."


	19. Part 19

"Higurashi-sama, welcome!" Koga greeted as he stepped aside to allow her and the other two members of the Higurashi family to enter.

Kagome's mother smiled. "It is so nice to be here," she said. "Where's the kitchen?"

Koga led the matronly woman through the house and showed her where she could put the large bowl of food she had in her hands. Sota and Kagome's grandfather followed with their own arms loaded with dishes.

Mrs. Higurashi took the bowl from Gramps and placed it on the counter. "Oh, I hope this isn't too much food for everyone," she gasped.

Koga smiled. "Actually, I think it'll be just fine," he assured her. "There will be plenty of people coming today."

"More demons like that creature at the gate, I assume?" the eldest Higurashi asked.

Kagome entered the kitchen at that moment. "Yes," she answered him. "And you'll do well to treat them with respect. Not all demons are as kind and charming as Koga and Inuyasha."

"Kagome," her mother called with a smile. She held her arms out for a hug.

The priestess returned her smile and hugged her mother. "Mom," she greeted. "I am so glad the three of you could make it. Hi, Sota," she added as she patted her brother on the head.

"Hey, babe, Ginta and Hakkaku went to the supermarket to see what meat they had available," Koga informed her.

Kagome wrinkled her nose. "Well, I hope you know how to use an outdoor grill," she told him. "I know the pack likes their meat raw, but there will be several mortals here shortly. I don't want anyone to be grossed out."

The wolf prince tilted his head to the side. "We don't own an outdoor grill," he replied.

"You do now," Inuyasha said from the kitchen door. He carried a large box that house said grill. "Kagome put it on the registry, so I figured I'd buy it and bring it over before everyone else got here."

Koga watched as the hanyou brought the box into the backyard and began opening it and putting the grill together. Before the wolf had time to blink, the entire house was buzzing with excitement. Guests were steadily arriving and food was being gobbled up as fast as it was cooked. There was laughter and tears as well as the more serious conversations.

The wolf demons blended in nicely with the humans, which made Koga suddenly glad he had made the decision long ago to take human out of the wolves' diet. Though he made eye contact with her several times, Koga did not see much of Kagome throughout the day. It seemed they were both pulled from one conversation to the next.

The entire pack was there as well as Kagome's school friends, the bike gang, Shippo, and even Inuyasha and his brother. This was the part that surprised Koga the most.

"I thought Sesshomaru hated Kagome," he inquired as he, Shippo, and Inuyasha hovered over the new grill.

Inuyasha shrugged. "She invited him. Don't ask me why or why he would accept," the hanyou said as he flipped a steak.

Shippo frowned and stared at a spot in the ground. "I think he's claimed Saki," he muttered. The wolf and dog stared at the fox in shock. He continued, "He has her scent all over him and he recently told her parents that she was to work for him permanently and not take a husband. She's also been to the doctor and is currently on birth control pills."

It was with welcomed relief that Kagome touched Koga's arm sometime as the sun started to go down. "Koga, I was speaking with Kizoku and, apparently, the three of you have no other siblings," she commented.

He glanced at her. "That's right," he told her. "We had a sister once, I believe, but she shared the same fate as Bofu and our parents."

Kagome nodded sadly. "That's what Kizoku told me," she said. "It's so sad. I would have loved to have a sister."

The wolf prince took his future wife into his arms and hugged her. One of the many things he loved about her was her sensitivity and understanding of others' feelings. He kissed her forehead before tilting her head up and kissing her lips.

"Hey, Koga! Save it for the honeymoon!" Tsuyoi shouted as those around him laughed and jeered.

Kagome giggled as she broke away from Koga. Just that quickly, the couple was separated and engulfed in the festivities of the evening. They danced with various people and played different games.

As the night wore down, everyone gathered around and watched as Koga and Kagome opened their wedding gifts. While most people had kept to the registry, others did not. Kagome blushed as she opened several boxes of lingerie and Koga opened a large box of condoms.

The last gift, a gift from Sesshomaru and Saki, turned out to be an all expense paid trip to the Bahamas. Kagome thanked him for the generous offer, though he pointed out, "It was Saki who chose the gift. I would not have gotten you anything."

The priestess smiled as she leaned against her husband-to-be. "What a beautiful night," she sighed as she gazed at the window.

"Kagome, how did you and Koga meet?" Ayumi asked suddenly.

Though most present had already known the story, the humans looked eagerly at the couple. The priestess blushed. She had hoped she could get away from telling any stories about the past, especially ones that involved her and Koga meeting. She wasn't sure how she was going to explain it in a way the humans would understand, or even believe.

"He kidnapped her," Inuyasha answered.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome squeaked.

The hanyou shrugged as some of the humans, including Kagome's school friends, gasped. "It happened some years ago. Kagome, Shippo, and I were going on an adventure and he kidnapped her."

Koga shook his head. "Actually, Rocky, if I remember correctly,_ you_ had put her in danger. She almost got buried in an avalanche of rock. I saved her life."

"Ha!" Inuyasha argued. "If you hadn't _started_ the stupid avalanche in the first place she would not have been in danger."

Kagome gave a nervous laugh as Eri moved closer to her. "Is this true?" the girl asked. "Were you in an avalanche? When did you go hiking?"

The priestess thought of the various ways she could answer that question and decided none of them were good. "It was a long time ago," she said vaguely.

"Well, it couldn't have been all that bad," Ayumi said as she leaned against the armchair. "It all worked out well in the end, didn't it?"

Yuka shook her head. "All this time we thought Inuyasha was two-timing you, but you were really two-timing him?"

Kagome's eyes widened as she protested, "I never two-timed Inuyasha! Koga and I were friends for a very long time."

"How come we never heard about him?" Ayumi asked. "I mean, how long could you have known him really? You're what? Eighteen?"

The priestess looked Koga and Inuyasha for help. Neither man had any clue what to say. So she gazed at Shippo pleadingly.

He snorted. "Feh! You wouldn't believe her if she told you anyway," he said as he stared at a figurine in his hands.

Kagome glanced at it and gasped. "Shippo, where did you get that from?"

He did not look at her. He just stared at the figure as he answered, "I made it. Not long after I made the ones for you. Seeing how well they turned out, I realized I wanted my own set. It's nice to think they are with us, isn't it?"

Her breath caught in her throat as she nodded.

Eri looked at the figurine as well. "Who is that?" she asked.

Shippo gave an ironic smile. "She's a demonslayer named Sango. Many years ago she fought in a war to defeat a powerful demon named Naraku."

"_Half_ demon," Sesshomaru growled and many other the wolves murmured their agreements. Shippo conceded with a nod.

The human girl stared at the figure. "She's very beautiful. You carve wonderfully, Shippo," she told him.

"Miroku taught me," he said.

"Miroku?"

The fox demon nodded. "He was a monk who carried a curse in his right hand," he explained. "Eventually, he married Sango."

"A curse?"

Kagome blew out a breath. "Yeah, it was called lecheritis," she commented.

She wanted the kitsune to stop and desperately tried to think of another subject. Eri giggled. "Can you tell us more? Who were they and why did they fight this half demon named Naraku?"

Shippo looked up at her and gave her a half smile. "Well, if I tell you, I have to start at the beginning, though I warn you. You're not gonna believe me."

Eri stared at him in fascination. "Try me," she dared.

Kagome opened her mouth to interrupt, but Koga stopped her. "Let them hear it," he whispered to her.

Shippo gave a single nod as he began, "It all started with the Shikon no Tama…"


	20. Part 20

Eri clasped her hands together and in front of her as she walked beside Shippo. It was very late and still dark outside, but she found she couldn't sleep. Instead, she took a walk around the subdivision with Shippo. It was peaceful in the neighbourhood and she was reminded of one of the villages in Shippo's tale.

"I still don't understand something," she told him, her eyebrows wrinkled as she thought of her words. "You said everything that happened in your story happened five hundred years ago. Yet, you speak of it as though you had been there. And the entire time you spoke, I could see different expressions on Kagome, Inuyasha, and Koga's faces. It was like they had been there as well. How is that possible?"

He glanced at her before staring at the road in front of them. He smirked. "I told you you wouldn't believe me."

"I never said I didn't believe you," she pointed out. "I'm just trying to understand it. You also said that not all demons were bad. But in religion we are taught that…"

Shippo snorted. "Yes, humans have always feared demons. And I don't blame them. During the Feudal Era, there were far more evil demons than there were good. They gave us quite a bad reputation."

"So, what is a demon? How do you tell a demon from… well, a human?" she asked.

He pinched his lips as he thought about it. "Well, for one demons don't age as quickly as humans do… Years ago, long before World War II, humans were able to see demons quite clearly. Many demons have markings, fur, tails, and other such things that point them out as demons. As time went by, humans just stopped seeing us."

Eri nodded. "So, demons are humans with animal-like features?" she asked.

He chuckled. "More the other way around," he replied. "Though, in all honesty, demons are neither human nor animal."

A light wind picked up and wrapped around the two people. A thought struck Eri at that moment and she couldn't help but voice it. "You said 'us.' Are you a demon, Shippo?"

The fox froze in his tracks and stared at the girl. He looked for signs of fear or anger. What he saw instead was genuine curiosity. "I am," he answered honestly. He didn't see any reason to hide the truth.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "But you don't look like a demon," she said.

He smirked. "What do you think demons look like?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "I don't know," she replied. "Scary. With glowing red eyes and sharp fangs. They have long, wicked claws and there's fire. Fire is all over the place. And they're huge, like skyscraper huge. And ugly."

He raised an eyebrow. Taking her hand, he brought her to the center of the neighbourhood. With a smile, he said, "Some demons are like that, however, at this very moment, you are surrounded by demons."

She stared at him dubiously. She did not see any demons around and she certainly could not believe that Shippo was one. "Prove it," she challenged. "If you really are a demon, then prove it to me."

In response, he pulled her into his embrace and kissed her. At first, she was shocked by his sudden, bold movement, but she felt herself relaxing. He was a really good kisser and, despite his short stature, he was very handsome. She closed her eyes and wrapped her hands around his neck. Somehow, he felt… _right_ to her.

As she lifted one hand to play with his hair, she felt something odd on his ear. She played with his ear a bit as she tried to figure it out. It was like his ear was pointy or something. Sort of like the elves Tolkien spoke of in his stories. But that couldn't be right.

She broke the kiss and opened her eyes. Her eyes widened as she saw the man for what he was. His eyes had become slits, like a foxes. In fact, his entire face resembled a fox. He was a cute fox, there was no doubt, but he was a fox nonetheless. His hair was pulled into a topknot and she could see his pointed ears. He flicked his bushy tail as he waited for her to speak.

Wait. She blinked and gazed at the tail. He had a tail. She met his eyes and saw fear. Her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. Was he scared of her? He was a demon! He had no reason to be scared of her! Her mind worked through the tidbit of information and she came upon another conclusion. He wasn't scared of _her_. He was scared of her _reaction_ to him.

She closed her eyes as she tried to build her courage up from the depths of her own fear. She had been walking with a demon. She had kissed a demon. This demon had…

She opened her eyes and tilted her head. "So, it's all true? That story you told tonight… It really happened?" she asked him.

He swallowed and nodded his head. "Y-yes," he stammered. "It really happened."

Realization slowly dawned on her. "So, Koga and Inuyasha? They are demons as well?"

Shippo sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Well, Koga is," he replied. "Inuyasha is just a half demon. Grant it, he's quite the formidable one and I would not underestimate his abilities. But he's still a half demon in the end."

She nodded. "What is a half demon exactly?" she asked.

He answered, "A half demon is someone who has one parent that's a demon and another who is a human. In Inuyasha's case, his mother was a human princess and his father was the Great Dog General of the Western Lands."

Eri thought over all the times she had seen Inuyasha and his behaviors started to make sense. He was, essentially, half dog. Another thought struck her. "What about his brother? Is he a half demon as well?"

Shippo snorted as he laughed. He shook his head. "Be thankful Sesshomaru did _not_ hear you say that," he responded as he continued to laugh. "He is very proud of his heritage and would take it as an insult."

"So? What is he?" she asked.

The fox demon wiped a tear out of his eye. "After their father died, Sesshomaru became the new Lord of the Western Lands. He is a full demon and, actually, quite pure-blooded."

Eri nodded. "And you are a fox, correct?"

In response, Shippo pulled her into a hug. "You are the first person to ever get that right on the first try," he told her. "Or, at the very least, the first human."

She chuckled nervously. "I guess that's a good thing? What about around here? You said I was surrounded by demons. I assume you mean Koga and his family? What are they?"

A lone wolf walked up to the pair and rubbed herself against Shippo's leg. Seeing that she was a regular wolf and not one of Koga's actual family members, the fox answered. "They are wolves," he said as he bent down to scratch the wolf behind the ear.

~8~

A part of Eri wanted to run screaming into the night. As the sun began to rise into the early morning, she was content to lie on the grass next to Shippo. He wasn't at all what she had expected upon hearing the word "demon." He was kind and gentle.

Not to mention hot. Once she got over the idea that his features were very fox-like, she realized that the fox part of him only enhanced his looks. She was even more amazed that he had chosen to spend his time with her.

But then, he had all the time in the world, didn't he? Demons were immortal beings that did not die of old age or disease. If, or when, a demon did die, it was due to some outside cause. It was a fatal wound that they could not heal from or something of that nature.

"Is Kagome a demon?" she asked suddenly.

Shippo turned his head to look at her. "No," he replied. "Kagome is a priestess. She was the one who destroyed the Shikon no Tama and Naraku in the end."

Eri sat up. "But how? Those events happened five hundred years ago. How could she have been there?"

The fox demon sat up as well. "On the grounds of the Higurashi temple, there is a well with a shrine built around it. Through that well, Kagome was able to travel to the past and help us with finding the shards and everything else."

"Through a well?" she questioned. "Can she go there now?"

He shook his head. "I think the well lost its power when the Shikon no Tama was destroyed. I'm not certain that's the case, but I don't know how else to explain it. Kagome has tried to return to the past several times, but hasn't been able to."

She nodded as she settled back on the grass. "I think my math teacher may be a demon," she commented. "Will I be able to see the demons now?"

He shrugged, but did not rejoin her. "Who knows? Now that you believe we are real, maybe. I suppose the real test will come when you see Koga and his pack again."

She quickly stood up and dusted off her skirt. Then, taking his hand into hers, she said, "Well, let's go find out!"

~8~

Kagome pulled a packet of bacon out of the refrigerator. She set it on the counter before taking some eggs and milk out as well. It wasn't very often she had a chance to make breakfast and, so, she was excited for the opportunity.

Koga sat patiently at the table with Inuyasha, who was reading the morning paper. The wolf prince watched as Kagome busied herself around the kitchen. He loved watching her work.

The priestess took out a frying pan and began melting some butter. "Ham, bacon, and cheese omelets," she said, more to herself than anyone in particular. "I am sad that Saki had to leave last night, but I must say, I am glad Sesshomaru is gone."

Inuyasha sniffed as he took a sip of coffee. "I'm actually surprised he came at all," he replied. "I still don't understand why you invited him."

Kagome shrugged. "I thought it'd be a nice gesture," she admitted.

"And she wanted to rub it in his face that we were happy," Koga added with a smirk.

Kagome shook her head in denial, which made Koga laugh. "Deny it all you want, babe. You like ruffling that dog's fur."

The priestess glared at her fiancé before shrugging. She threw him a mischievous smirk and the two men laughed.

Just then, Eri burst into the house dragging Shippo by the hand. "Kagome, you'll never guess what I just learned!" she cried as she entered the kitchen.

Kagome looked at her friends and saw the look of amusement plastered across Shippo's face. That was never a good sign. "What's that?" she asked warily.

"Shippo's a fox demon!" the girl declared.

Kagome's eyes widened as she felt the colour drain from her face. "What?"

Eri looked to Koga and Inuyasha for confirmation and stopped. Her eyes widened and she squeezed Shippo's hand. She bounced in excitement as she said, "Oh my god! I can see them, Shippo! Inuyasha's doggie ears and Koga's pointed ones. And they both have fangs just like you. Do you two have tails as well, like Shippo?"

Koga smiled in amusement as Kagome watched helplessly. "I do," the wolf prince answered. "But Rocky here doesn't."

Eri sat at the table as she stared at the two men. Inuyasha sighed as Eri asked, "Why do you call him 'Rocky'? Is it because of the avalanche?"

"No," Koga chuckled as he watched the exuberant girl. "I call him 'Rocky' because that's the screenname he used when he spoke to Kagome over the internet."

"Yeah, before it was always 'Mutt-face' or 'Dog Breath,'" Shippo explained as he grabbed a cup of coffee and joined them at the table.

"Inuyasha had his share of insulting names," Kagome pointed out as she returned to her cooking. There was no point in trying to stop them from revealing anything and Eri seemed to take the news extremely well.

Eri glanced up at Kagome and quickly stood up and joined her in the kitchen. "I am so sorry," the girl said. "Would you like some help, Kagome? I did not mean to be rude."

"Oh, it's fine," the priestess said. "You can return to the table if you would like."

"I would like to help you in the kitchen," Eri stated. Then, she whispered to the priestess, "Besides, I gotta make a good impression on Shippo. Guys like women who can work in the kitchen, right?"

Koga and Inuyasha burst into laughter as Shippo blushed. Eri looked at the men curiously. Kagome smiled. "They are canines, Eri," she pointed out. "They can hear anything and everything you say."

Eri blushed. "Oh."

The girl quickly hid behind the counter, making Kagome chuckle. "Oh, don't worry," the priestess reassured her friend. "They like to tease, but it's all in good fun."

Eri nodded, but Kagome could tell the girl was embarrassed. Taking pity on her friend, she growled at the men. "Would you two knock it off?" she snapped at Inuyasha and Koga. She looked down at Eri, who was currently on the floor. "I could use your help with the cooking," Kagome said kindly and with a smile.

Eri returned the smile and Kagome helped her up. As the two women made the omelets, Kagome couldn't help but notice that Eri and Shippo would steal glances at one another when they thought no one was looking.

Kagome smiled. She could not think of a more perfect match for Shippo. And this time, he did not have Sesshomaru to ruin it for him.


	21. Part 21

Inuyasha opened yet another box. There had to be something he was missing. He sniffed at the contents, sneezed, and started pulling out scrolls and documents one by one. As he pulled them out, he read over each one carefully.

He knew his mother had kept a record of the time she had spent with his father. He had the journal to prove it. He just did not know where the rest of the records were. For a moment, he wondered if the records had been destroyed. His mind went over the meeting with Takemaru all those years ago and he shook his head. If they had been destroyed, there was little Inuyasha could do to recover them. But he wasn't going to give up until he had searched the entire house.

The hanyou pushed aside that box and opened another. There had to be something somewhere.

* * *

Kagome giggled as she watched Koga and the two pups. She sat at the patio set with Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka. After a very lengthy conversation, Yuka finally accepted the idea that demons still existed and that Koga was one of them. She still had trouble believing that Kagome had actually gone into the past. Ayumi accepted it all with grace.

"Just think, Kagome," Eri commented. "One day, maybe soon, Koga will be out there playing with your own small batch of children."

The priestess smiled. "I think he'd like that," she agreed. "Though, I wouldn't want more than two or three, preferably one boy and one girl."

Ayumi giggled. "Oh, that would be lovely, Kagome," she said.

Yuka gave the priestess a dubious look. "Won't they look a bit funny, though?" she asked.

"Yuka!" Eri reprimanded.

The girl shrugged apologetically. "I'm just saying," she stated. "They'll be half demons, right? Won't they be somewhat like Inuyasha? How will you deal with that?"

"I've dealt with Inuyasha, have I not?" Kagome said with a raised eyebrow. "Besides, most humans can't see demons for what they really are, never mind half demons. And, if it gets bad, we'll just homeschool them."

"But, Kagome…"

"That's right!" Ayumi interrupted Yuka. "Koga has plenty of money, so homeschooling will be cheap. You could hire the best private tutors. It's not like they would miss out on activities or anything. And Tsuyoi has his children come by enough that they will have plenty of socialization."

"And if I ever get married, I could bring my own children," Eri added.

Ayumi nodded. "Same here."

"You and Koga are going to have beautiful children, Kagome," Eri said. "And they'll be loved no matter what."

Kagome smiled. "Thank you, Eri," she said. Deciding a topic change was needed, she asked, "So, how are you and Shippo doing?"

Eri blushed. "He's really sweet," she replied. "He's quite funny too. He makes me laugh a lot and he's always the perfect gentleman."

"Yes, despite being around Inuyasha and Miroku, he really did turn out well," Kagome acknowledged.

Ayumi looked at Eri curiously. "Do you think he'll pop the question?"

Eri's cheeks turned a brighter shade of pink. "I hope he waits until after I get out of university," she said. "I like him a lot, but my school has to come first."

"Of course," Kagome concurred. "Shippo would never want to come between you and your studies. He puts a high value in education."

Yuka snorted. "You shouldn't encourage her, Kagome. It may be fine that you're marrying some demon, but you shouldn't persuade Eri to do it as well."

The priestess frowned. "I'm not trying to persuade her to do anything," she argued. "And what do you have against Koga?"

Yuka rolled her eyes. "He's a demon," she pointed out. "They're dangerous."

"You had no problem with him when you met him," Kagome reminded the girl. "And, yes, he is dangerous: to those who would harm his family and friends. He's loyal and caring."

"And if he wasn't?"

"Then I wouldn't be marrying him," the priestess confirmed. "But he is and I am. I love him, Yuka, and if you took the time and got to know him rather than judge him, you'd like him, too."

* * *

Inuyasha took out another scroll from the box he was currently looking through. This scroll was old and very, very fragile. He very gently, very carefully opened it and started to read it.

At first, it seemed as though the scroll was a property deed to the house and the grounds. As he continued to read it, he realized that it wasn't. There was information about the house that hadn't been on previous documents. It appeared to be a written map, but he couldn't decipher what it meant or where the document was talking about.

Confused, the hanyou took out his phone and called the one person he knew that might understand it. The phone rang twice before his long time friend picked up.

"There better be a good reason you're calling me, Inuyasha," said the voice on the other end. "I got a date tonight."

The hanyou rolled his eyes. "Spare me a minute, Shippo," he growled. Then he calmed as he said, "I think I may have found something but I have no idea what it means."

"And you're calling me because…?"

"You're the one who knows so much about houses and property," the hanyou retorted. "I figured you'd know what it meant."

He could hear Shippo sigh and the click, click of the fox's tapping claws. "I really ain't got time for this. Can't I look at it tomorrow or something?"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who told me to call if I found anything," he pointed out. "Besides, I thought you wanted to help out Kagome and Koga? What if this will tell me how to find the rest of my dad's notes?"

There was silence for a moment. At first, Inuyasha thought the fox had hung up on him and he started to get angry. Then, "I'll be over there shortly. I just hope it ain't a waste of time."

The fox did hang up on him that time, but Inuyasha didn't care. He had a feeling in his gut that he was finally on the right track.

* * *

Shippo read the scroll. He read it again. "Inuyasha, is there a hidden door in the garden? Perhaps near or inside the fountain?" he asked.

The hanyou looked at his friend curiously and wrinkled his brow. "Not that I'm aware of," he replied.

The fox demon nodded. "Are you sure about that?"

Inuyasha huffed and shrugged. "How would I know? I never knew of a hidden door and there isn't a written record of one anywhere," he said.

Shippo held up the scroll and stated, "This is the written record."

The hanyou perked up and stood up. "Well, let's go find it," he said. "It's in the fountain, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

Inuyasha was already out of the room. Shippo scrambled to follow him.

* * *

Shippo snapped his fingers and a small ball of fox fire appeared in his hand. Inuyasha glanced at the fox demon before continuing down the passage.

The passage confused him more than anything. His mother had never spoken of the place and he never would have guessed it existed. It ran deep underground, too. For a while, it was just a long hallway with dirt and stone walls on either side.

When they finally reached the end of the hall, they found it opened into what appeared to be a mixture between a laboratory and a bedroom. There were a few tables covered with old beakers and test tubes. In one corner, there was a cleared spot- now covered with cobwebs- where a pallet would have lain.

On the far wall was a mounted cabinet with a glass front. Under the cabinet was a desk that was covered in old scrolls and dried ink wells.

"Bingo," Shippo commented softly.

Inuyasha nodded as he entered the room. He could still feel the faint demonic aura that had been his father. He could smell his mother's perfume. There was no doubt in his mind. He would find the answers here.


	22. Part 22

Kagome held her arms out and to the side as she was dressed in white by her mother. Eri had washed Kagome's hair and was currently pulling it into an elaborate design. The priestess took a deep breath. _Patience_. Her grandfather and Sota were setting up the altar and getting the preparations ready.

Her mother stood up and smiled. "Now it is time for your shiromuku," she said as she went to the bed and picked up the white kimono they had gotten for Kagome.

Kagome smiled as Eri walked around her and began painting the priestess's face. "You will look wonderful," the girl promised her friend.

"Yes, she will," her mother agreed. "Very beautiful."

"I'm a little nervous," Kagome admitted.

Her mother nodded. "I am not surprised. I was nervous, too, when I married your father."

Once the shiromuku was properly fastened, Mrs. Higurashi went to the next piece of clothing and Kagome's eyes widened. "Wouldn't a tsunokakushi be better?" she asked as her mother placed the large headdress on her head.

Mrs. Higurashi snorted. "Nonsense," she said. "This wataboshi belonged to my grandmother and was worn by my mother and myself. It brought us good fortune and now it will bring you good fortune."

Kagome grimaced as her mother fixed the wataboshi and stepped back to admire her handiwork. Eri took a step back as well and the two women sighed. The older woman retrieved a golden fan, a small ornate box, and a tiny sword. She handed the fan to her daughter before fixing the sword and box into the folds of the shiromuku's bosom.

Ayumi and Yuka entered the bedroom at that moment and Ayumi clapped in excitement. "Oh, Kagome, you look beautiful," Ayumi stated as she approached the priestess for a gentle hug.

"So do you," Kagome commented.

All three of her friends were dressed light green kimonos that had pink and purple flower designs along their left sides. Their hair was fashioned in buns with large white lilies on the sides. Well, except for Yuka's hair. She did manage to pin the lily in her hair, but she did not wear a bun.

"Are you ready to get married?" Yuka asked.

Kagome took a deep breath, smiled, and then nodded. She could not wait.

* * *

Koga stood at the altar and waited patiently for his bride. Ginta, Hakkaku, and Shippo stood to his right while Kagome's grandfather stood in front of him.

Her mother, brother, and Inuyasha sat in the audience along with Tsuyoi and Kizoku. Next to Tsuyoi sat his wife and the two pups.

The temple doors burst open and Kagome's three friends entered. They were holding baskets filled with cherry blossom petals and lightly sprinkled the ground with them. The guests stood and turned as Kagome entered the temple.

Koga fought his urge to turn and look at her. From the gasps he knew she must have been stunning. When she finally approached his side, the wolf prince faced her and could not get rid of the goofy smile that adorned his features. She _was_ stunning!

Though the ceremony could not have lasted very long, the couple felt it had lasted an eternity. Sake was poured and shared between the couple and their families. When Kagome's grandfather begged for someone to object to the marriage, she held her breath and prayed Inuyasha would not speak up. He didn't.

The ceremony ended with a kiss between the newlyweds and flower petals were thrown over the two as they exited the temple. Koga led his new wife to the limousine and helped her into it. Once they were both seated, the limousine pulled out of the shrine and headed to the wolf tribe's subdivision.

Koga still hadn't wiped off the silly grin and Kagome gave him a dubious look. "I hope you haven't managed to freeze your face that way," she said to him.

The prince laughed. "I just can't believe we did it," he admitted through his chuckles. "I keep waiting for someone to pinch me or kick me awake."

He kissed her. "I love you," he groaned as he continued to kiss her.

She returned his kisses with just as much passion. She felt him as he untied the shiromuku and she did what she could to help him out. She needed to change anyway, now that she was married.

He broke the kiss momentarily so he could take the headgear off. As he threw it across the limo, he smirked. She smiled back and licked her lips. His eyebrow rose as he gave a true smile and dipped his head to kiss her again. He nipped at her bottom lip as his arms encircled her.

Kagome wanted him closer to her and tugged at his kimono. The two crashed onto the limo floor, breaking their kiss and sending them both into fits of laughter. Then, just as suddenly, the air changed.

The priestess looked up at the wolf, who was now lying atop her. Both of them were breathing heavily and Kagome could feel the butterflies begin to pool around her stomach as Koga touched her cheek and lowered his lips to deliver a searing kiss. She could feel his hardened member through their clothes and, for the first time, she did not care. In fact, she welcomed it.

Her fingers dug into the back of his kimono as he pressed himself more firmly against her. She tried to wrap her legs around his waist, but was impeded by her own shiromuku. She let out a frustrated growl.

Koga broke the kiss and looked at her in concern. "Babe?"

She shot him a look that melted his very soul. "Help me out of this thing," she snarled.

Her passion drove him wild as he tore the garment off of her. Their lips met again and he reached up to cup a bare breast. His body shuddered in absolute joy. He broke the kiss again only to lick at the delicate bud in his hand.

She moaned in delicious ecstasy. Her hands hid themselves in his hair as he began to suck on the teat while his other hand massaged the other breast.

The limousine came to a sudden halt and the couple broke apart again. Koga growled at the driver. Kagome looked up to see the driver getting out of the car. The fog in her mind quickly dissipated as she realized they were at the house. She was practically naked and Koga's eyes were red.

The priestess sat up and touched the wolf's cheek. "Baby, baby, please calm down," she whispered to him. "Our friends and family are outside."

He stared at her and she could see the red disappearing from his eyes. She gave him a soft, shy smile. "Would you like to help me dress in my kimono?" she offered.

Koga took a deep breath. "I'd rather help you _un_dress," he replied which made her laugh.

"I'm not sure our guests would appreciate seeing me nude, especially my own family," she responded.

The kimono was hanging near the driver's seat and, so, the priestess took it down and began fixing herself in it. Koga watched her for a moment before he decided to try and help her. He was not helpful at all, however, as he kept untying the ties that Kagome was making. She was getting frustrated.

"If you're not going to help, then you can stand outside and get my mother in here," she fussed.

There was a knock on the window and they could hear Mrs. Higurashi's muffled voice ask, "Kagome, is everything all right in there?"

Koga smirked at Kagome answered, "Yes! Everything's fine. Just having a bit of wardrobe malfunction."

"Yeah," Koga agreed. Quietly, he added, "You keep trying to put it back on."

She popped him on the arm. "Would you like me to help?" her mother asked.

Kagome's eyes widened and Koga touched her cheek. She shook her head. "N-no," she stammered. "Koga's helping me. We'll… we'll be out in a m-minute."

Koga kissed her jaw. Tilting her head just a bit, he kissed her neck and attempted to pull her closer to him. "Koga!" she reprimanded as she pushed him away. Her seriousness was lost as she barked out a laugh.

He smirked as he grabbed the back of her head and pulled her so that her ear was against his lips. He gently licked her earlobe. "Just wait until tonight," he whispered into her ear.

She sat, shocked, as he helped her tie her obi. He opened the door and stepped out into the driveway. He turned and held his hand out to her. She was still frozen as the feel of his hot breath against her ear burned straight and true. She could feel her insides melting at the promise he had given to her. She could still feel his tongue against her earlobe.

Koga knew the effect his touch had on her. He could smell it in the pheromones that poured off her body in droves. He was so tempted to take her right then and there, reception be damned. He also knew that if they did not at least make an appearance at the reception, he would never hear the end of it from her friends.

Knowing he would have to snap her out of her daze, he reached into the car and took her hand. The touch of his skin against hers was enough to wake her up and she quickly scrambled out of the car. Koga helped her fix her kimono and the two began walking to the house.

The entire pack was inside the house and in the backyard. The scents of both cooked and raw meat filled the air and were mixed with other cooked things. As the newlywed couple entered house, the music, which had boomed, was shut off and everyone began clapping.

Before they knew it, they were both swarmed with people shaking their hands and congratulating them. Kagome was welcomed into the pack very enthusiastically. "I thought I was already part of the pack," she inquired as Tsuyoi congratulated her.

The wolf laughed. "Of course, Kagome-sama," he replied. "You've always been welcomed in our pack, but now it's official."

"Only _after_ tonight," his wife pointed out. She was, probably, the only person in the entire party who did not seem happy about the occasion. Well, Sesshomaru didn't look too happy either, but when was he ever?

The couple was given speeches by several people, including Inuyasha, Shippo, Kagome's grandfather, Ginta and Hakkaku, Tsuyoi and Kizoku, and finally Sota. The boy rounded it off with a huge, "I have a demon for a brother!" To the youngster, that alone was the coolest thing in the world.

Everyone laughed and the party was in full swing. People ate, drank, and danced throughout the night. At one point, a drunken Yuka informed Kagome that she was "gonna lose my virginity to that wolf over there." Kagome's eyes widened when she saw Yuka pointing to a not-so-drunk Kizoku. He smirked at her and she was immediately reminded of Koga.

The priestess gave him a daring glare and his eyebrows rose in surprise. He held his hands up in surrender. Satisfied, Kagome nodded and turned away from him, letting her attention return to her friends.

Yuka wasn't the only one who had caught the attention of a wolf. Kagome was surprised to find Ginta and Ayumi sitting under a tree as they spoke about the Feudal Era and Naraku. The priestess groaned.

It wasn't that she wanted her friends to be unhappy. Far from it. She just did not want them to… she didn't want them to end up like her. She loved Koga. And every day, she loved him even more. She knew, though, that one day he would be without her. Her fear of death was now greater as she saw her human friends fawning over other demons. What was going to happen?

She looked around for Koga and could not find him. For some reason, this made her panic. Where was he? Why wasn't he with her? Where did he go? She suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"Koga?" she called as she searched the backyard for him.

Not finding him, her search became desperate as she entered the house. "Koga?" she called again.

"He's out front talking to some girl," Inuyasha offered as he deftly beat Shippo at their game of chest.

Her fears skyrocketed. Kagome saw flashes of Inuyasha in Kikyo's arms. Those flashes changed until it was Koga in the arms of some unknown girl. With her heart in her throat, Kagome charged to the front door.

* * *

"It's done, Ayame!" Koga snarled. "We're mated and there's nothing you can do about it."

"But you're not mated," she argued. "Not yet. There's still a chance, Koga. You can still get out of this. Quickly before the entire pack is affected by her."

Koga's eyes narrowed. He glared at the auburn haired wolf. "And what would you do?" he growled calmly. "What would you have me do?"

The she-wolf gave a frustrated groan. "Slice the bitch's throat and serve her as the main course!"

There was a reason that Koga was the leader of the pack. It wasn't a position he had inherited from his father. Nor was it something the elders gave to him out of kindness. Just like any other wolf, Koga had fought to gain his position. He was the leader because he was the most powerful of the pack. He demanded loyalty and commanded respect. No one in over five hundred years had dared to challenge his position.

His eyes became red as his features began to elongate. "You _will_ regret your words, Ayame," he growled.

Kagome ran out in the front and what she saw shocked her. Koga was getting ready to fight his own sister-in-law! Even more, his body was enveloped in his demonic aura as he began to transform. Kagome's scream was joined by Ayame's as Koga moved to attack the she-wolf.

Inuyasha burst out the door at the sound of Kagome's scream and was followed by pack members, humans, and Shippo. Everyone stopped as they watched, some in horror, as Koga attacked Ayame. Tsuyoi immediately transformed and jumped in to save his wife. Kizoku shook his head.

"I wonder what the bitch did now," he said as he transformed as well.

Kagome had her hands clapped over her mouth and she screamed again when Ayame transformed and snapped at Koga's leg. Inuyasha looked to Shippo who went to Kagome and pulled her into a hug, effectively burying her face in his chest.

The hanyou pulled out his sword and allowed it to transform into the demon blade most around him knew so well. He knew the fight needed to be broken up and fast. He hated getting involved in wolf affairs, but he hated seeing Kagome upset even more. He had no idea what Kagome had walked in on, but he had a feeling Koga was protecting her.

"Everybody stand back!" Inuyasha yelled as he held out one arm to shield the group of on-lookers.

"No, Inuyasha!" one of the wolves shouted. "Don't get involved!"

The hanyou let his blade droop slightly as he glanced over his shoulder. "I'm not about to…"

He was interrupted as Kagome stepped up beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her other hand was clutched at her chest as she shook his head to him. "Katzu is right," she said, her voice much calmer than before. "Koga is the leader. He's the alpha. If you interfere, you'll only cause more problems."

The onlookers watched as Koga and Ayame fought and then as Tsuyoi took Ayame's place. Kizoku jumped between Ayame and the fight and snarled at her. When the female made a move to jump back into the fight, Kizoku cut her off and snapped at her feet.

Upon closer look, Inuyasha could see that Tsuyoi and Koga were not fighting one another. Like Kizoku was doing with Ayame, Tsuyoi was merely keeping Koga at bay. Koga, however, did not like this and grabbed Tsuyoi by the neck.

Kagome gasped as Inuyasha clutched his sword. But, to everyone's surprise, Tsuyoi immediately moved into a submissive position with his tail between his legs. Koga held him there for a moment before he let the wolf go.

Kagome watched as Koga stepped up next to Kizoku. Ayame gave the leader a ferocious snarl and Koga jumped upon her. The priestess grasped at her chest, but did not look away.

Koga forced the female wolf down. He continued to hold her in place until he felt her start to relax and even then, he held her. His growls were low and deep in his chest as he forced her to accept his authority.

As Ayame slowly transformed back into a humanoid, Koga followed suit. Kizoku and Tsuyoi had already returned to their humanoid forms as they moved to help their leader and Tsuyoi's wife up.

Koga stared at Ayame with hard eyes as he commanded, "You will bow to my wife and you will respect her. You will never say anything ill about her again and you will not threaten her life. To do so will mean your banishment. Am I understood?"

The female wolf straightened and held her head up high. There were cuts and bruises all over her face and arms. She held the pose for a moment longer before dropping to one knee and bowing her head to him. She nodded. "Yes, Koga," she whispered. "Your word is my law."

Koga gave a single nod before turning to find the entire party on his front lawn. Kagome stood there next to Inuyasha with fear in her eyes. Koga felt his heart drop to his stomach as he approached her.

"Babe…"

Kagome shook her head as she fell into his arms. She started sobbing into his chest. "I've never been so scared," she whispered through her tears. "I thought… I thought…"

She looked up into his blue eyes. "When Inuyasha said you were out here, alone with some other woman… And then I saw you fighting with her…"

She buried her face into his chest again and he wrapped his arms around her. He rested his cheek upon the top of her head. "I am so sorry, babe," he whispered to her. "If I hadn't done something…"

She nodded into his chest and they stood there for a while. The party members slowly returned to the house and the festivities. Kagome closed her eyes as she breathed in the smell of Koga's sweat and skin.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

Koga took a deep breath. "Remember that girl I told you about? The one who tried to get me to mate with her? That was Ayame," he explained. "Soon after you disappeared, the elders thought it would be wise for me to take a mate. No one agreed with them more than Ayame. When I finally turned her down, she did not want to accept no for an answer."

Kagome stared at the Kobushi Magnolia tree in their yard. She could hear the rhythmic beating of Koga's heart. "But Ayame is mated to Tsuyoi," she pointed out.

He nodded against her hair. "She is now," he replied. "But she wasn't always."

She gazed up at him. "What changed? What made her decide on Tsuyoi?"

He shrugged. "Who knows?" he said. "I thought she had finally given up on me. I think she, more than anyone, was surprised to see that you were alive after all these years."

"Do you think she still has an interest in you?" she asked.

Again he shrugged. "As far as I know, she is very much in love with Tsuyoi, but I do believe she worries about me. She does not believe you will be alive for long and I think she fears I will become alone again."

The priestess stared at him with wide eyes. That was her fear and he knew it. She was about to give a retort when Kizoku came out of the house with Yuka on his arm. It was clear the girl was drunk as she kissed the wolf on the cheek. Yuka gave Koga and Kagome a drunken smile. "I got me a wolf," she slurred.

Kagome pursed her lips. "Kizoku, you are taking her home, right?"

He smirked at her. "That is where we are heading right now," he told her.

Kagome's eyes widened. "I meant to _her_ home!" she rectified.

Koga chuckled. "Come now, babe, you'll spoil their fun," he said.

Yuka hiccupped and nodded. "Yeassh," she agreed. "You got a wolf to –hic- fuck and now I –hic- do."

Kagome's eyes narrowed at Kizoku. "If you hurt her, I will purify your ass," she threatened.

The two wolves laughed as Kizoku lead Yuka away from the newlywed couple. Kagome glared at her husband as he shook his head. "I bet you a day of walking around the house completely nude that your friend passes out the moment her butt touches Kizoku's couch," he said.

Kagome bit her lip. "He won't take advantage of her, will he?" she asked.

Koga shook his head. "He has more class than that," he assured her. "Besides, he is a firm believer that sex is so much better when both people are sober."

* * *

**Author's Note:** The wedding was rather short, but the chapter was long. I would have made the wedding longer, but I did not want to do an injustice to traditional Japanese wedding customs. While I had researched it a bit, I still wasn't comfortable going into too much detail. So, who predicted that Ayame was Tsuyoi's wife?


	23. Part 23

Koga exited the shower and grabbed his towel. He debated on whether to wrap it around his body or leave it. In the end, he decided to drape it over his shoulders. He grabbed his comb and looked in the mirror.

The wolf prince was never one to brag. Well, ok, maybe he was, but he felt he had a right to. All those years spent chasing jewel shards, a half demon, and his dreams of success left their mark on him. He was no longer the scrawny wolf of his younger years.

His entire body had filled out. Muscles made up the bulk of his arms, legs, and torso. While he would never be a beefy, large person, he was nicely cut with a six pack and strong pecks. He wondered what Kagome thought of his physique, but figured she must have liked it. She had married him, after all.

He combed the tangles out of his hair before giving himself a rough towel dry. Then he took one last moment to admire himself. He smirked. He looked _good_.

That's when he heard the soft, quiet sobs. Frowning, he threw the towel over one shoulder and left the bathroom. He found Kagome sitting on the edge of their bed. She was looking down in her lap and fiddling with her nails. A tear drop fell from her eyes and Koga became worried.

"What's wrong, babe?" he asked as he knelt down in front of her.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm scared," she whispered.

He took a deep breath and nodded his understanding. "I've never done this before either," he admitted. "The women I know say it hurts the first time, but it gets better. I…"

"What are you talking about?" she asked looking up at him.

He tilted his head. "Um… I'm not sure? What… what were you talking about?"

She looked back down at her clasped hands and opened them. He looked as well and his eyes widened at the small ball of pure energy that resided there. He gasped and backed up. "Uh, babe…"

"What's going to happen, Koga?" she questioned as she stared at the light. "When you and I complete our marriage and make it whole? What will happen to my powers as a priestess?"

"I… I don't know…"

"Inuyasha said that when Kikyo started to fall in love with him, her power started to dwindle," she continued as though she hadn't heard him. "But I'm not sure it was because of her love. I haven't felt any differently. If anything, I feel my powers as a miko are stronger because of my love."

The small ball of light vanished. "I don't want to lose my powers," she admitted as she looked up at him. "But I love you so much that, I think, it'll be ok if I do."

Koga frowned. "Kikyo lost her powers because she began to doubt herself," he responded. "She began to no longer want those powers. It had nothing to do with her love for Inuyasha. Her powers dwindled because she let herself become corrupted by this idea that she was somehow broken. It happens to demons as well."

Kagome's eyes widened. "It does?"

He nodded as he joined her on the bed. "Some demons, over time, begin to think that they are no longer strong enough or capable of wielding their demonic power. The power then begins to eat them and, ultimately, destroys them."

She nodded as she looked back down at her hands. "How much does it hurt?" she asked suddenly.

He raised an eyebrow and let his eyes trail to her hands. "I'm not sure," he replied as he took her hands into his. "Some women say it's a sharp pain or pressure, some say it hurts like crazy, and then there are those who say it doesn't hurt at all. All of them agree, however, that the pain doesn't last very long."

She nodded as she rested her head on his shoulder. "And there's no way to control it, huh? No way to keep it from being painful?"

He took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "If you want, we could always play a little beforehand," he told her. "They say a woman's moisture helps ease the actual act."

"I think that sounds like a good idea," she said as she kissed his shoulder.

He knew she was nervous and he wanted to calm her down before they did anything. If she held any doubts, the ritual would not fully work. So, he stood up and twirled in front of her, coming to a stop when he faced her.

Her eyes widened. "Koga," she said as she stared at him. "Where are your clothes?"

He put his fists into his hips as he struck a little pose. "Like the way I look, babe? I'm hot, aren't I?"

She laughed. "Yes, you are," she replied causing him to smirk. "It's a bit intimidating, though. Are you sure it'll fit?"

He chuckled as he approached her and gave her a kiss. "Perhaps we should find out," he whispered against her lips.

The air around them crackled and sparked as the mood of the moment changed. Koga stayed in his humanoid form as they explored each other's bodies. When he felt she was ready for him, he sat up.

"I have to change now," he told her. She started to get nervous and he kissed her.

"Baby, it'll be ok," he whispered. "This will be the only time I will have to change and then we can make love the human way."

She nodded. "_It_ won't change?" she asked.

He shook his head. "It'll be the same size whether I am in this form or my true form," he reassured her. "It'll be ok."

He sat back as he looked down at her. She really did look beautiful lying there. "Now, babe, I need you to listen to me. In order for this to work, you will have to get on your hands and knees. I will take my true form and mount you. Whatever you do, do _not_ panic. You know I will never truly hurt you. In my true form, I cannot control how long I will last, but the benefit of that will be that it'll be over quickly. After that, we can spend the rest of the night making beautiful love. When the ritual is complete, I will probably howl and you'll hear the other wolves in the pack howling as well. I don't want you to be frightened or worried."

She nodded and moved into the position that he told her to move into. "When will you…" she stopped with a gasp as she felt him enter her with a quick thrust. She hadn't even felt him change.

It did hurt, but not as much as she thought it would. It wasn't nearly as pleasurable as she thought it'd be either. With a final thrust, she felt something slightly larger pop into her and Koga let out a long howl. She held her breath as she heard the wolves around the complex join in.

When the howling died down, she felt him leave her body and he collapsed onto the bed beside her in his humanoid form. She gazed at him and could see he was nearly spent. A light sheen of sweat covered his body and he was breathing heavily.

"Koga?" she whispered.

He nodded and placed a hand on her arm. "Just give me a moment, babe," he requested. "That took a lot more from me than I expected it to."

Kagome watched her husband in silence. After a couple minutes, he kissed her arm before lifting himself up to kiss her cheek and then her lips. Falling into his kisses, Kagome moved her body so that she was lying on her back. Koga gently moved on top of her and they made love for the first time.

* * *

As Kagome stirred the pot of rice, she could not stop the smile on her face. True to his word, Koga had kept her up the entire night with one love making session after the other. Every inch of her body was sore and ached, but she did not care.

Even more, she felt even stronger in her powers than before. It was like her love for him and his love for her only worked to solidify the powers she possessed.

She was so happy; she couldn't help humming a merry tune, though she had no idea what it was. When she heard a knock at the door, she cheerfully bid the person to enter. She looked to see who it was and smiled. "Good morning, Inuyasha!"

"Don't you mean 'Good _afternoon_'?" he replied as he walked up to the bar and rested his elbows atop it. "You know the two of you have been sleeping for quite a while. When I came to the gate this morning, Ginta was actually grateful to see me. He said he was worried you two had fucked to death or something."

"He did _not_!" the priestess argued. "Don't be so provocative."

Inuyasha shrugged. "He might as well," he said.

Koga entered the kitchen at that moment. He wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist and gave her a kiss. "Hey, babe," he breathed.

She smiled at him. "Hey, yourself," she replied. "You know Inuyasha's here, right?"

The wolf gave her a smirk before rolling his eyes to look at the hanyou. "What'cha want, Rocky? You realize you're gonna ruin my honeymoon just by being here, right?"

Inuyasha growled. "I'm not here for you, Wolf. I got something for Kagome."

The priestess looked at her friend curiously as Inuyasha pulled a glass vial out of his pocket. She could feel the demonic aura coming off of it as he handed it to her. "What is it?" she asked.

"Immortality in a bottle," he stated matter-of-factly. "Apparently, you can drink immortality."

Kagome shared a frown with Koga and the wolf prince asked, "Where did you find this?"

The hanyou shrugged as he sat on one of the bar stools. "My parents had a secret room buried under my mother's garden. My father kept a lab there and was trying to find a way to make my mother immortal. He wanted to mate with her and make her fully his, much like you and Kagome are.

"After endless hours spent in the lab, he finally found the answer, but then my mother became pregnant with me. Father didn't know if her drinking the potion would endanger me and neither of them wanted to take that chance. He died the same night I was born. My mother, I guess, had no desire to live an eternity without him, so she never drank the potion."

Kagome looked down at the bottle. "This potion… Your father made it?"

Inuyasha nodded. "He also left instructions on how to make it for if or when I ever found myself a mortal woman. He didn't want me to be alone, I guess."

Kagome studied the vial before she uncorked it. To her surprise, the demonic aura stayed within the vial. She gave it a cursory sniff before pulling it away in disgust. "What is in this?" she asked with a frown.

Inuyasha pulled a scroll out of his pocket and unraveled it. He scanned it quickly and his eyes widened. "Oh, shit!" he hissed before he grabbed the vial out of Kagome's hands. "Maybe it's not a good idea for you to drink this."

The priestess's frown deepened. "Why not?" she asked.

The hanyou scratched his brow. "I really need to learn to read things before I make suggestions… The key ingredients include demonic blood, a bit of demonic saliva, and demonic seed," he told her.

"Demonic… Your father's _seed_?" Kagome shouted. "You were going to have me drink… Ew!"

Koga walked around the bar and read the scroll in Inuyasha's hand. The wolf scratched his chin. "Perhaps it wouldn't be so gross if _I_ made this," he suggested. "It looks easy enough to make."

Kagome put her hands on her hips. "You two are sick," she growled. "You would really have me drink your _cum_?"

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he stared at Kagome in shock. Then, realizing what she had said, Kagome's face turned beet red and she shouted, "I can't believe you just made me say that!"

Koga hurried back around the bar and wrapped his arms around his wife. "Babe, I didn't…"

"Inuyasha! Give me your necklace! I want to put it on Koga so I can make him sit!"

Her words brought Inuyasha's body violently to the floor. Kagome's temper immediately changed as she rushed to Inuyasha's side. "Oh, I am so sorry!" she told the hanyou. "I did not mean to do that. Oh, God, can you forgive me?"

The hanyou glared at her. "I'm fine," he growled.

As Inuyasha sat up on the floor, Kagome sat next to him. The hanyou stared at the vial. How he managed to keep the stuff inside it was beyond him. When he spoke, he was calm. "I know it sounds gross," he told her. "And it probably doesn't taste very good either. I think it would be easier for you if you let Koga make it for you, though."

Kagome grimaced, but she nodded. "Will this really make me immortal?" she asked.

The half demon closed his eyes and sighed. "I hope so."

* * *

**Author's Note:** *Scrunches nose* Whoever said immortality was easy? "Here, Kagome, you have a choice, you can either drink a dead man's love juice or your hubby's love juice." Well, drinking one's husband's love juice does sound a little better, doesn't it?

I tried not to be too graphic with the wedding night scene, mostly because I knew what the scene required and I did not want to gross out all my readers. I think it came out well, though.

Also, for those who did not know, every male canine has a swelling that appears at the base of their penis. This swelling, or knot, gives them the ability to "tie" with their mate, thereby ensuring reproduction. All male canines have this, including wolves. (Just a little fyi that I'm sure some people here probably did not really care to know. ;) )

I love your reviews, especially when you let me know what you liked about the chapter. Details are always fun for me.


	24. Part 24

"So, you have to drink his cum?" Eri questioned as she sipped her tea.

Kagome nodded and made a bland face. "I don't know if I can do it," she admitted as she looked into her cup.

Ayumi shrugged as she stirred some sugar into her tea. "He is your husband," the girl commented. "It's not like you'd have to do that with some strange guy you never met. I would have been more worried if he and Inuyasha had tried to convince you to drink that stuff Inuyasha's father made."

Yuka leaned back in her chair. "You three make it sound like cum is the worst thing in the world," she said with a sniff. She waved her hand in the air. "I would be more grossed out by the blood part than I would the cum."

The three girls stared at Yuka. Kagome frowned. "I agree that drinking blood is gross," she conceded, "but so is drinking semen."

The short haired girl shook her head as she sat up. "That's only because you've never tasted it," she stated arrogantly.

"And you have?" Eri asked.

Yuka smirked, but did not answer the question. The four girls, or rather women, drank their tea in silence for a moment. It was a relaxing, quiet day. Most of the men in the complex were at work, including Koga. Suddenly, Yuka sat up again and looked at her priestess friend.

"Inuyasha hasn't tested it yet, has he?" the girl asked.

It took Kagome a moment to remember what the conversation had been about. Her mind had wandered to earlier that morning when Koga gave her a "have a good day" kiss. "No, I don't think so," she replied as she gave her friend a curious look.

Yuka nodded. "Perhaps it should be tested before you go through with it, then," she said. "What if Koga goes through all that work and you pinch your nose to drink the crap only to have nothing happen? Or worse, what if all that demonic energy kills you?"

Kagome shook her head in denial. "I don't think…"

"You never know, Kagome," Eri interrupted. "I mean having sex with a demon is one thing. I'm pretty sure you'll even survive the birth of your children, but this… You'll be taking his demonic energy inside of you and trying to make it part of your own energy. Yuka's right. You should get Inuyasha or Koga to test it before you go through with it."

The priestess sighed. "But it has been tested," she argued. "Maybe not by Inuyasha, but his father wouldn't put his mother in danger."

"But she never drank it, so we don't know," Eri pointed out.

Kagome lifted her finger to argue, but then stopped. Though she had never met the man, she knew InuTaisho had been intelligent enough to make a potion that worked. And he never would have made something that had the potential to kill Inuyasha's mother. So, it only stood to reason in Kagome's mind that InuTaisho had tested the potion before presenting it to Izayoi.

But Kagome did not know of any immortal humans. Not unless… She sat up and lifted her finger again. "For centuries, there have been rumors of a Fountain of Youth, ambrosia, and so many other ways humans can 'become immortal.' What if a lot of those rumors were started by an immortal human? Or maybe they did not start the rumors, but other humans found them out and started the rumors."

"Or," Ayumi added, "The human that was given the potion became a demon themselves. That's a possibility, too, right?"

The priestess hesitated again. Though she hated to admit it, Ayumi had a point. So did Yuka and Eri, if she really thought about it. Truth was, she really did not know what would happen if and when she drank the potion.

* * *

Yuka sat on the couch and watched as Kizoku as he put a DVD into the DVD player. "Before we start the movie, may we talking about something?" she asked.

"Sure," he said as he stood up and walked over to her.

She waited until he was seated on the couch next to her. Repositioning herself so that she faced him, she scrunched her nose. "Have you spoken to Koga about using that potion?" she asked him.

The wolf demon sighed. "Not really," he admitted. He quickly added, "I don't see anything wrong with it. If they want to go through with it…"

"Anything wrong with it?" she shouted. "Kizoku, Kagome could _die_ from it! The fact of the matter is, we have no idea what that potion will do, whether it will even work. It might not even do anything, which will not only waste their time, but put Inuyasha and Koga back at the drawing board… The reason the Fountain of Youth is a legend is because it's a myth. And it's so steeped in mythology that no one knows the facts from the exaggerations."

Kizoku frowned. "So, you want to test it?" he questioned. "On whom?"

Yuka hesitated as she thought about it. "I don't know," she replied as she sighed.

The wolf demon was suddenly reminded of a sailboat when the wind dies down. He found it fascinating to watch her mind at work, however. He could almost see the wheels and cogs turning in her head.

He had to admit. She raised a very valid point. If the potion did backfire, Kagome could potentially die from it. Then what would Koga do?

Kizoku did not want to think of the depression Koga would go through. He remembered the first time his brother had lost Kagome. They had all been lucky when Koga found her. If he lost her again, for real… Kizoku shook his head. He did not like the possible outcome.

"I'll do it," Yuka said, breaking the silence.

The wolf demon looked at her curiously. "What?"

The girl sat up straight. "We'll talk to Koga and he can test the potion on me," she repeated.

Kizoku shook his head. "I'll not risk you getting hurt," he told her.

Yuka rolled her eyes as she stood up. "Who said I was asking for your approval? Kagome's my friend. Friends help each other solve problems," she stated as she started for the door.

The wolf demon moved quickly and grabbed her arm before she could open the door. "Yuka!"

The human snatched her arm out of his grasp and pointed a threatening finger at him. "You are not my boss," she snapped as her eyes narrowed. "What I do, I do for Kagome. And nothing you can say will stop me."

Kizoku returned her glare. "What about Kagome?" he sneered. "What do you think Kagome will say when she finds out what you plan to do?"

Yuka yanked the door open. Before she left the house, she turned and looked at him. "With any luck, she'll be grateful."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Gotta love that damn voice of reason, huh? So, what did y'all think? Lemme know in the reviews!


	25. Part 25

"Absolutely not," Koga said as he folded his arms and stared the couple down. "Are you two out of your _fucking_ minds?"

"But, Koga…"

The wolf prince growled, "And what if, as you predict, something bad does happen to you, Yuka? How would I explain it to my wife? You know how much she cares about her friends."

"And I care about her, too," Yuka shouted. "What would you do, Koga? Huh? If it was your friend who wanted to do something that hadn't been tested? Would you stand by and just let them do it and hope for the best? Or would you put your own life on the line to see if it worked first?"

"That's different," Koga said with a shake of his head. "I'm…"

"What? The 'leader'?" she retorted. "What makes you so much different than me? What makes your willingness to sacrifice yourself so much better than mine? Or less dangerous?"

Koga snarled as he jabbed a thumb into his chest, "I know the dangers. I understand the dangers. You forget, little girl, I've been through a hellavua lot more than you have and have a hellavua lot more experience. And, yes, I _am_ the leader. I didn't get my position by letting my subordinates do dangerous shit."

"I'm _not_ your subordinate!" Yuka yelled, her face turning red. "You are not my boss or my parent. You are my best friend's husband. My friend, which I'm trying to keep from getting hurt. If you really loved her, like you claim, you'd let me do it."

The wolf prince dropped his hands to his sides and glared at her. He could not and would not let this girl put herself in harm's way. If she was worried about Kagome's safety, he'd ask Inuyasha if the potion had been tested. But he could not allow Yuka to risk her life.

With all the calm he could muster, Koga said, "My answer is still 'no.' You can throw a tantrum all you want, but I will not allow it. And if you think about going to Inuyasha, don't. By the time you do, I will have already spoken to him."

Yuka gave a frustrated screech through her teeth. Kizoku winced at the sound, but Koga did not budge. Then Kizoku came up with an idea. "What if she were mated?"

Koga hesitated. "What?"

Yuka paused as well as Kizoku explained, "If one of our pack mated with her, then Kagome would want Yuka to be immortal as well, right? We could get someone to mate her, and then give her the potion. If all works out well, we can give Kagome the good news. If it doesn't, well… We can still tell Kagome, but let her know that Yuka had done it to be with her mate."

Yuka's eyes widened. That was not part of the plan and Kizoku knew that. Besides, who in their right mind would mate with Yuka?

Koga mulled it over in his mind. Then, with a hardened expression, he said, "Only if you mate her."

Kizoku froze. "But…"

"It'd have to be you, Kizoku," Koga growled. "I will not have some random wolf mate her and fall in love with her only to have her die."

Yuka frowned. "Wait. So, you'd let me take the potion if Kizoku mated with me?" she asked, uncertainly.

For a moment, Koga neither said anything nor moved. Then, he sighed as he lifted his hands. "If Kizoku mates with you, then there will be little choice in the matter," he told her. "Kagome will only want your happiness. And mated with Kizoku, you'd have that. But then you'll have the burden of mortality to contend with. Kagome wouldn't want that, so she would agree that taking the potion would be the best course for you."

Neither Yuka nor Kizoku liked this idea and Kizoku was the first to protest it. "Koga, you know how I feel about humans. I have plans to marry another wolf demon, not…"

"But you have no problem fucking a human," Koga sneered. "Don't think I am ignorant of what's been going on between the two of you. And you _have_ no current engagement. If you want this potion to be tested, then you have to mate with her. Only after the two of you are mated will I allow it."

With that, Koga left Kizoku's home and the couple. He needed to talk to Inuyasha.

* * *

Yuka stared at the door in anger. She knew the demon was not going to return and tell them that he changed his mind. "What does he mean, exactly?" she asked.

Kizoku looked up from the bottle of beer he had been drinking. "What do you mean?"

Yuka sniffed. "Koga. He said you would have to 'mate' with me. What is that? What does it mean?"

The wolf blanched. "It's…" he started. He thought about it for a moment. "It's sort of like a wedding, I guess. It's where we bind ourselves to a specific person for however long we wish. It makes it so our children are legitimate. A mated pair do not… reproduce with anyone else."

She stared at him. He took another pull from his bottle before he continued, "Most demons mate with a particular person for a certain time and then end the 'marriage' to pursue others. Wolves, however, mate for life. We don't have an option to end the mating or find someone else. Once we've found our mate… that's it. We mate with them, have children with them, and, with any luck, grow old with them."

Yuka frowned. "So, if you were to mate with me…?"

Kizoku shook his head and closed his eyes. "I like you, Yuka. Really, I do. I just…" He sighed. "That's not how I imagined my life."

She raised an eyebrow. "What? Being mated with a human? What if that human were immortal?" she questioned. "What if she had the same lifespan as you?.. Or do you just not wish to mate with _me_?"

The wolf looked away from her. "I never promised…"

Yuka snarled at him. "I never said you did!" she snapped. She took his hands into her own. "I'm going to ask you the same thing I asked Koga. If it were him. If it were a matter of _his_ life or death. What would you do?"

He glared at her. "That's different," he growled. "Koga is my brother. My _blood_ brother."

She tilted her head slightly. "Ok, fair enough. But what if it were Ginta or Katzu? Or what about that wolf that lives down the street that I don't know the name of?" She sighed as she dropped his hand. "I don't have any sisters of my own, so in a lot of ways, Kagome is my sister. I would do anything for her. Well, her, Ayumi, or Eri… I don't expect you to understand…"

As she turned away from him, he touched her shoulder. He pulled her back around to look into her eyes. "Do you… Do you _want_ to mate with me?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

She gave him a half smile. "Not particularly," she admitted. "I was probably the one that opposed Kagome's marriage to Koga the most. I'm not really keen on this whole 'marry the demon' thing. But, like I said, I'd do anything for her."

He nodded and pulled away from her. She followed him into the living room where the two sat on the couch. "I know why he's doing this," Kizoku said. "Koga thinks that if I mate with you, I won't want you to take this potion. He thinks I'd be too concerned about what would happen to you. Or, better yet, that I wouldn't want you to take the potion because I wouldn't want to spend an eternity with you."

"Do you?" she asked.

He shrugged as he drained the last of his beer. "Do you even know what's involved in a mating ritual?" he questioned.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, duh. We have sex," she replied.

He chuckled as he shook his head. "No, we don't," he told her. She looked at him curiously as he clarified, "Mating is a binding of the souls and bodies. When we mate, we have to do so in our true forms. While production of a child is not necessarily the end result, we don't use things like condoms or birth control. And if any such product is already in your body, it is rendered useless."

"Wait," she interrupted holding her hand up. "Let me get this straight. I have to fuck a wolf? And you may or may not get me pregnant in the process?"

He nodded and she moved off the couch. He watched her as she paced the length of the coffee table. After a few seconds, she stopped and met his brown eyes. "Does it hurt?" she asked.

When he shook his head, she continued her pacing for a little bit longer. "If it makes any difference," he added, "it is really quick. In my true form, I cannot control my demonic instincts and the mating does not take long. Of course, it's not really enjoyable, either."

She pinched her lips together as she stopped and stared at him again. "And there's absolutely no way we'll be able to convince Koga out of this, right?"

He shook his head. "Once Koga has made a decision, that's it."

She took a deep breath, nodded, and said, "Ok, then. Let's do this."

He raised an eyebrow. "Who said I would be a willing participant?" he asked. "I'm not sure I'm ready to spend the rest of eternity with a human."

Yuka put her hands on her lips and gave him a smoldering stare. "Baby, you know I rock your world at night," she growled enticingly. "Imagine me doing that _every_ night for the rest of your life."

His decision made, Kizoku smirked. How could he say "no" to that offer?

* * *

**Author's Note:** Typical male. Always thinking below the belt.


	26. Part 26

Koga froze momentarily before looking up at the window. "You've _got_ to be kidding me," he whispered as he climbed off of Kagome and out of the bed.

"Koga?" the priestess said in concern.

The wolf went to the window and pulled the curtain to the side. There was no mistaken it. Two different voices rang out into the night. He knew what those howls meant and he could hardly believe he was hearing them.

He turned to his wife. "Put on a robe and quickly," he told her as he headed for the bedroom door.

Alarmed, Kagome grabbed her night robe and wrapped it around her body. She followed her husband through the house and out into the backyard. Once there, she could hear the howls very clearly. "What's going on?" she asked as Koga glared at the night sky.

The prince took a deep breath. "Kagome, do you know how to howl?" he asked, ignoring her question for the moment.

She wrinkled her brow. "Sure," she answered. "Though, I can't say I've ever done it."

"Well, tonight you will," he told her. "Once I howl, I want you to follow with one of your own. Keep howling until after I stop."

She nodded. Koga cupped his hands around his mouth and pierced the night with a loud howl. Kagome followed, though she felt a little embarrassed. Before she knew it, the entire community was filled with howling.

When Koga brought his howl to an end, Kagome stopped as well. She looked at her husband curiously. "Mind explaining to me what that was all about?" she asked.

The wolf prince glanced at her. "Ginta and Kizoku have found mates," he said simply before going back into the house.

Kagome stood stock still as her brain quickly processed what Koga had said. Then she was quick on his heels. "Wait! What do you mean 'Ginta and Kizoku have found mates'? What mates? Not Ayumi and Yuka?"

Koga shrugged as he pulled a beer out of the refrigerator. He knew his chances of getting laid were slim to none. "Most likely, babe," he replied. "They haven't been fucking around with anyone else."

"F… What? Why didn't you tell me this? And when did they decide to mate? What the hell is going on around here?" she demanded.

Koga lifted an eyebrow. Yep. He was definitely not getting laid. He pointed the top of the bottle at her. "You'll have to ask your friends that," he told her. "I knew they were fucking around, but I didn't know any of them would actually mate."

"So, what was that about? Why did we have to howl?" she asked.

He shrugged. "We're the alphas," he answered simply. "As alphas it is our job to be the first to respond to a mating call. If we don't, then that means we do not approve of the mating."

She frowned. "But I _don't_ approve of the mating," she huffed as she jabbed her fists into her hips.

He raised his eyebrow again and took a swig of his beer. "Well, that sucks for the couples, I guess," he said. "If one or both of the alphas do not approve of the mating, then the couple gets banished from the pack."

Kagome's eyes widened. "You wouldn't," she hissed in surprise.

"I don't have a choice, babe," he told her. "It's the law of the pack. As alpha, I have to uphold the law."

He placed his beer on the counter and began walking towards the front door. Kagome followed him. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"To let Ginta and Kizoku know that they have until daybreak to get themselves and their mates out of the community," he replied as he opened the door. "Once daybreak comes, we'll have to inform the entire pack of our decision."

Kagome ran in front of him and slammed the door shut. "No!" she shouted. "Koga, that's not fair. You can't tell me about pack law _after_ I say something stupid! And you can't banish them. I won't let you. Besides, we don't even know if they are mated to Ayumi and Yuka."

He stared at her for a moment. "And if they are?" he questioned.

She sighed. "Then I guess they are," she responded. "I may not like their choices, but I won't fault them for it. Besides, I'm not a hypocrite. And it's certainly not a good reason to banish them from the pack."

"Oh, but it is," he disagreed. "They mated behind our backs with people you do not approve of. Wolves have been banished for lesser deeds."

Kagome glared at him. "I didn't say I didn't approve of the _people_," she growled. "I love Yuka and Ayumi. They are like sisters to me. My only problem with it, Koga, is that this is yet two more people we have to concern ourselves with making immortal. We don't even know if the potion will work or what will happen. I don't know if Inuyasha's father tested the potion. I'm not even sure if Inuyasha knows…"

"He did," Koga interrupted.

The priestess gasped. "What?"

The wolf rubbed at his tired eyes. "I called Inuyasha earlier and asked him about it. You're not the only one who is concerned about whether it would work or not. Your 'sisters' have been extremely vocal about their concerns, especially Yuka. So, I called the mutt to see if his father had tested it."

Kagome blinked. "What did he say?" she asked.

He sighed as he leaned against the door next to her. "His father had tested the potion on a random mortal in a nearby human village. The potion worked. It gave the man demonic life, as well as some demonic power," he explained. "After he was certain the potion worked, InuTaisho killed the guy and rushed to Inuyasha's mother to tell her the good news."

Kagome sighed. "Then I guess it can be done," she whispered.

As she smiled up at him, Koga returned the smile. Maybe he'd get some after all.

She started towards the bedroom and he followed her. "It's been a long night," she commented. "I really hope that couch doesn't get too cold."

Koga looked at his wife curiously as they approached the bedroom. "Why are you worried about the couch getting cold?" he asked.

She stopped at the bedroom door and blocked his entrance. "Because that is where you will be sleeping tonight," she told him. "And maybe next time you'll explain pack laws to me _before_ I make some stupid comment."

The wolf prince just stared at her and then the closed bedroom door in shock.

* * *

Yuka rapped her knuckles on Ginta's door impatiently. If what Kizoku said was true, she was not a happy camper. When the door wasn't immediately answered, she banged upon it with her fist. "Ayumi! You better answer this door!" she shouted.

It was Ginta who opened the door with a confused look on his face. "Shh! Ayumi is trying to sleep," he told her. "It's five o'clock in the morning. What's wrong?"

She glared at him. "I'll tell you what's wrong, you flea-bitten wolf," she growled. "Kizoku told me you mated with my friend. Is that true?"

Ginta raised an eyebrow. "Sure," he answered.

Apparently, that was the wrong answer. Yuka punched him in the gut and forced herself passed him. "Ayumi!" she hollered into the house. "Ayumi, wake up!"

Ayumi entered the living room and was rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "Is everything all right?" she asked through a yawn.

"No!" Yuka shouted. "You mated with him?"

The curly haired girl looked at her friend curiously. "Of course," she replied. "I love Ginta."

"But he's a demon, Ayumi!"

Ayumi's eyebrows furrowed. "So? Kizoku is a demon and you mated with him," she pointed out. "Isn't that what you told me, Ginta?"

The wolf nodded as he moved to stand beside his mate. "Yes," he responded. "Hello, Pot, I'd like you to meet my mate, Kettle."

Yuka growled, "The only reason I mated with Kizoku is because Koga told me I would have to if I wanted to test the potion. For Kagome."

Ayumi tilted her head slightly. "I didn't even think about asking Koga," she said. "I just figured that if Ginta and I were mated then Koga would have to let me test the potion. I mean, he wouldn't want his wife to be unhappy."

The wolf demon nodded. "Koga is all about Kagome's happiness. He'd do anything for her," he agreed.

A thought dawned on Yuka in that moment and she fished her cellphone out of her pocket. "Oh, please don't be," she whispered as she punched Eri's name in her phone.

A couple of rings went through before Eri answered. "Hello?"

"Eri! Where are you?" Yuka asked.

"I'm over at Shippo's place. Why? Is everything ok?" Eri replied.

Yuka closed her eyes. "You haven't mated with him, have you?"

Eri gasped, "How did you _know_? We just finished, actually. Wow, Yuka, it's like you could sense it."

Yuka paused as she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. "Why?" she asked through clenched teeth.

Eri snorted. "Well, isn't it obvious?" she retorted. "Aside from the fact that Shippo and I are just nuts about each other, Inuyasha said that he would only let me test the potion if Shippo and I were mated. So, I did the only logical thing I could think of. And, oh my God, Yuka! Shippo is amazing! Did you know his penis actually grows in size when he transforms? Talking about a wonderful surprise! Not that his normal penis isn't incredible in its own right. But… oh, God. I thought I had died and gone to heaven!"

"I don't need or want to hear about Shippo's penis," Yuka snapped. "You do realize that Ayumi mated with Ginta tonight, right? And I mated with Kizoku. All for the same reasons!.. Well, mostly. What's going to happen when all three of us go to Inuyasha and Koga and tell them that we all want to test the potion?"

Eri giggled. "I guess they'll test it on all three of us, then."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Poor Koga. He kinda deserves it, though.


	27. Part 27

"Shippo! You of all people should know that I wouldn't be thrilled about this," Kagome fussed.

Shippo folded his arms together and raised an eyebrow. "And I would have thought that _you_ of all people would be a bit more understanding," he commented. "I love Eri. I want to be with her."

The priestess sighed. In all honesty, there wasn't much she could do. Her friends had made their choices. She lifted her hands, then dropped them as she turned to look at Eri. "Are you happy?" she asked.

The girl smiled as she nodded exuberantly. "I am very happy," she exclaimed. She giggled as she kissed Shippo on the cheek.

Kagome nodded. "What are you going to tell your parents?" she inquired. "What are any of you going to tell your parents?"

Ayumi clapped her hands together. "Well, they don't have to know about any mating ritual, right? We can just tell them that Ginta and I have started dating," she suggested.

Kagome gazed at the girl. All four women were sitting at the table with their perspective mates. Kagome glanced at Koga, who looked completely cowed. Apparently the couch had not agreed with him last night. Good.

"I've already agreed to do a human wedding if Eri wanted," Shippo stated as he took Eri's hand into his. "I've already met with her parents and they think we are dating. Sometime next month or so, I plan on doing this huge marriage proposal so her parents can start planning the wedding."

The priestess gave the fox a smile. "Thank you, Shippo," she said softly. "That's all I ask. And I know Ginta will, no doubt, follow suit?"

The wolf demon perked up when he heard his name. Taking a moment to figure out what they were talking about, he quickly nodded. "Of course," he said. "I kinda enjoyed that whole ceremony thing you and Koga did. It'd be fun, I think."

Ayumi leaned her head against his shoulder and Ginta smiled. Apparently, he said the right thing.

Kizoku glanced at his new mate. "I assume you want the same?" he sneered.

Yuka glowered at him. "Of course not," she hissed. "I'd be fine with a simple marriage certificate or something." She glanced at Kagome. "You know my parents. They aren't going to care one way or another. So long as they don't have to take care of me anymore."

Kagome pinched her lips together. She glanced at Koga again. He returned her look and nodded. She smiled and turned back to her friends. "Koga and I made a decision this morning," she announced.

As everyone looked at her, she stated, "Shippo, if you and Eri wouldn't mind, we'd like to welcome you to our pack. There's some empty land within the community and it would be an honour if you'd take it and build a home for you and Eri there."

Shippo looked from the priestess to the wolf prince. "Really?" he asked.

Koga nodded. "You've been a loyal friend to my pack and me for centuries, Shippo," he commented. "It would be an honour if you'd join us."

Eri's smile widened as Kagome continued with her announcement, "In two weeks, there will be a ceremony performed that will make Koga and I official in terms of alphas. Koga will no longer be a prince, but a chief to this community. During that ceremony, I would like to announce the additions of Yuka, Ayumi, Eri, and Shippo into the pack. We spoke extensively about this, and it is definitely allowed."

Yuka held out a hand. "Hold on," she said. "What about you becoming immortal? What about that potion?"

Kagome nodded. "I'll be immortal before then," she assured her friend.

The three girls protested at once, causing the noise-sensitive wolves to sit up in their chairs in alarm. Shippo cringed as he looked to Kagome for help. Finally, Koga stood up and slapped a hand onto the table.

The girls became quiet with shock. Koga glared at them. "One person at a time," he warned.

"Koga, you promised," Yuka said. "The whole reason Kizoku and I mated in the _first_ place was…"

"I know that," Koga growled. With the look Kagome shot him, he knew he would have another night on the couch. He was not happy. "As promised, the three of you will take the potion first. In order to do that, however, I will need the ingredients from your mates."

"Wait," Kagome stopped him. "You agreed to let them take the potion first?"

The wolf prince gave his wife a look that begged her patience. "I told them that if they mated, I would allow them to take the potion before you, yes. I did not expect all three of them, or really any of them, to actually go through with it."

Kagome folded her arms. "Apparently you don't know my friends very well," she huffed.

He threw her a smirk that she did not return. "Apparently not," he agreed with a frown. "What's done is done, however. I will keep my word and allow them to go through with it first."

"But we already know the potion works," Kagome protested. "You said that InuTaisho had the potion tested."

Koga raised an eyebrow. "You doubt him?" he asked.

The priestess shook her head. "Of course not, but if that's the case, then there shouldn't be a problem with me taking it first. Once I have taken it, then they can take it," she suggested.

Shippo raised an eyebrow and glanced at Koga. The wolf prince held his ground. "I gave my word, Kagome," he said. "They will be given the potion first and you will not argue with me on this matter."

* * *

There was a time when Koga loved his couch. That was why he bought it to begin with. It was soft and comfortable and looked amazing in his living room. He was steadily growing to hate his couch.

He already knew Kagome would kick him out of their bedroom after the girls protested. What he didn't expect was to still be on the couch three days later. He thought she was being completely unfair to him.

* * *

Kagome stared at the four bottles of potion as Inuyasha stood next to her with his arms folded. She was tempted to grab the one labeled with her name on it and down it before the other girls got there. She was tempted and she had tried. She forgot that Inuyasha was ten times faster than her. So, she just glowered at the bottles.

The hanyou itched his nose with the back of his finger. The seconds ticked by.

"Maybe they changed their minds," the miko suggested hopefully.

Inuyasha glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and raised an eyebrow. "Doubtful," he said calmly. "And don't even think about grabbing that bottle."

She huffed. She tried a different tactic. "I'm surprised," she said as she turned to lean against the counter to look at him fully. "I never thought there would come a day where you would actually obey Koga's orders."

"Keh," he scowled. "You know better than that."

She raised her eyebrows and waited for him to elaborate. When there was no further explanation forthcoming, she continued, "It must be. I can't think of any other reason why Koga would give you a direct order and you would listen to him."

"I know what you are trying to do and it isn't going to work," he commented. However, he decided to humor her. "I want to see what this potion does before it is given to you. From the things my father said in the journal, it seems to change the person. I'm not sure what he meant by that."

She frowned. "All the more reason why I should be the first to test it," she pointed out. "I've handled these sorts of things before, remember? These girls are innocent and naïve. They have no idea what they are up against. I _do_."

Inuyasha growled, "It is my job to protect you."

"And it's _my_ job to protect _them_!" she shouted.

The front door opened and the girls entered along with Koga and the girls' mates. Kagome turned her glare on Koga. "I want to take the potion!" she spat at him.

Yeah. There was going to be even more nights where the poor wolf slept on the couch. He knew this, but he replied anyway, "Regardless of what you want, babe, you're not touching that bottle until they have tried it."

She huffed as she folded her arms and looked away from him. This was not right. She did not like this whole plan.

Eri glanced over the bottles. "And we are sure this will work?" she asked uncertainly.

Inuyasha nodded. "That is one thing I do know. My father specifically wrote that the potion does work," he assured her.

Eri nodded as all the people glanced at the bottles. She gingerly picked up the bottle that was labeled with her name. "I think we should do it together. On three…"

Eri did not get to finish her statement as Yuka quickly located her bottle, grabbed it, and downed the contents. Everyone froze as the girl grabbed her chest and fell on all fours.

"Yuka!" Kizoku shouted as he rushed to his mate's side.

The girl coughed and, for a moment, it seemed like she would throw up. Suddenly, her entire body began to shudder and spasm. She fell onto her side as she screamed in pain.

Kizoku did not know what to do. His instincts told him to get her away from what was hurting her. But how could he when what was hurting her was inside of her?

There was a definite pop of bones as Yuka continued to scream. Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. Yuka lay upon the floor, seemingly broken… passed out… dead.

No one moved as Kizoku placed a cautious hand upon her shoulder. He could feel her body vibrate as it began to pulse. Blood escaped Yuka's lips as her body began to glow with a demonic aura. Her eyes snapped open to reveal a pair of glowing, red pupils. Slowly, she began to sit up.

As she made eye contact with Kizoku, Yuka's eyes returned to their normal colour. She was exhausted and every part of her body ached. "Kizoku," she whispered.

Releasing the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, the wolf grabbed her into his arms and hugged her tightly. The last time he had felt that much fear had been when his sister had been taken by the Birds of Paradise. He was more than relieved to feel Yuka's heart beating against her chest.

Eri and Ayumi glanced at their potion bottles warily. Koga gave a doubtful eye to Kagome. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" he asked her.

Eri and Ayumi looked at the priestess as well. Kagome's eyes were hard and unreadable as she stared at Yuka and Kizoku. She then turned her gaze onto Koga.

"I am alpha," she told him. "I am the female leader of this pack."

Kagome grabbed her bottle. "I will not have another person take this potion before I do," she growled as she drained her potion in one gulp.


	28. Part 28

Koga was a little relieved when he caught Eri and Ayumi drinking their potions merely seconds before Kagome took hers. All three girls lay twitching and screaming on the floor. Koga sat by his wife and anxiously waited for her to stop. It pained him to watch her go through this amount of anguish and he wanted nothing more than to wrap her up in his arms and soothe her aches away.

Finally, the females calmed down and stopped screaming. Moments passed and Eri and Ayumi started to slowly get up. Koga watched Kagome.

Each second that she did not move seemed like an eternity for him. And then, the scent hit him like a ton of boulders. "No," he whispered in fear.

Inuyasha was by his side immediately. "Kagome," the hanyou called.

Koga gently shook his wife's shoulder. Her body moved like a dead weight. The wolf prince swallowed and shook her again. Nothing.

"What's going on?" Yuka asked as she approached the wolf and hanyou.

"Get away!" Koga snarled at her as he shook Kagome a bit more forcibly. "Kagome," he called.

Shippo froze as the stench of death began to settle into the house. His eyes rested upon Kagome's still body as he heard both Koga and Inuyasha repeatedly call for her. Eri raised her head from Shippo's chest and wrinkled her nose. "What is that smell?" she asked, oblivious to the scene before them.

She followed Shippo's gaze and screamed, "Kagome!"

Yuka saw Kagome's potion bottle lying on the floor a few feet away from the hysterical wolf and his mate. She walked over to it and picked it up. She sniffed the opening of the bottle. Yuka could easily make out the smell of blood, semen, and saliva. She could feel what was left of the demonic aura permeate from the bottle. She gazed back at her lifeless friend.

"What went wrong?" she asked aloud.

Koga pulled his wife into his embrace and glared at the new demon. "Nothing!" he growled. "Nothing went wrong. Kagome is just taking a bit longer, that's all."

"Koga, she's…"

"Don't say it!" Inuyasha barked at Yuka. He, too, could not accept what was before their eyes. "She's fine. She'll be fine."

Koga nodded as he glanced down at his wife. He gently kissed her lips and prayed that she would respond to his touch. She didn't.

"Koga," Shippo whispered as he touched Kagome's foot. "Koga, she's cold."

That's it! The wolf quickly wrapped her tighter in his arms and ordered Ginta and Kizoku to grab some blankets out of the bedroom. She needed to be warmed up and then she would be fine. But her lips were starting to turn blue. He would have to resuscitate her.

Koga laid her out upon the floor so that she was level. Forcing her mouth open with his thumb and index finger, he began breathing into her mouth before pumping her chest. "Come on, baby," he coaxed as he continued to do this manically.

Ayumi glanced over at Eri and saw the girl's face buried in her hands. Ayumi buried her face into Ginta's chest as her body shook with sobs.

When Yuka moved to pull Koga off, Kizoku grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her. Yuka fought Kizoku. "No!" she screamed. "No! Let me go, asshole! I have to help my friend! Let me go!"

Kizoku held on to her as she punched and kicked and bit him. She continually demanded that he release her. She fought him hard, but he refused to let go. Finally, he felt her crumble in his arms as her body became wracked with sobs.

Koga wasn't stopping. He wasn't going to give up. This was his wife! For the first time in five hundred years, he was finally able to be with her. He was not going to give her up now. Not to this! "Breathe, damn it!" he growled as he pumped her chest again.

"Koga," Shippo called to him. The fox placed his hands on his friend's shoulders. "Koga, Koga, stop. Stop! That's enough."

The wolf shook his head. "No! I won't give up," he snarled.

Shippo closed his eyes in an effort to fight back the tears. Taking a deep breath, he regained the courage and strength he needed to grab the wolf prince's shoulders and force him off of the priestess. "Stop!" the fox commanded. "You're only going to make it worse. She's gone, Koga. She's… gone."

The fox demon faltered as tears fell from his eyes. Koga shook his head. He did not want to admit it. He did not want to accept it.

She couldn't be gone. Not his Kagome. Not the woman he had waited to be with for so long. She was everything to him.

Koga gathered his precious Kagome into his arms and cried.

* * *

**Author's Note: **And cue the mob... *very meekly* don't hate me...


	29. Part 29

Koga had laid Kagome in their bed before getting under the covers and lying next to her. He refused to believe that she was gone. It just did not make sense for her to be gone. The potion had been perfect.

Days went by and Koga did not leave the bedroom. His mind mulled over the moment over and over again. He replayed the entire scene of when he made the potion. The calculations had been correct. The temperatures had been correct. The measurements had been correct. Everything had been correct.

The other three female who had taken the potion were turning out just fine. Though Kagome's stillness made the girls grieve, they were adjusting to their demonic lives perfectly.

So, what went wrong?

During his waking moments, Koga thought about these things while he held his wife in his arms. It wasn't until a week had passed that he made a startling revelation.

She wasn't decaying.

He glanced down at his wife and brushed some hair out of her closed eyes. She looked so peaceful. So…

The wolf demon hesitated. What was that?

He stared at her face. It was glowing. The glow was very faint, but it was there. He moved to touch her face, but stopped before his fingers could actually brush her skin.

He knew that scent. That was the scent of purification!

He jumped off the bed as the glow began to cover her entire body. He waited, hopeful, but nothing more happened. It was as if her body did not wish to be touched. It had wrapped itself in this cocoon of pink light and just stayed there.

The wolf wanted answers, but he did not want to leave her. So, he howled.

* * *

Hakkaku and Shippo were the first to enter the house. They dashed into Koga's bedroom and froze at the scene before them.

Others followed quickly and stopped when they saw it as well.

Kagome's body had lifted itself up and was hovering over the bed. The pink light was now brighter and more vibrant than it had been before. Some of the wolves had to shield their eyes from the light.

Shippo watched with fascination as Kagome's body tilted itself upward into a standing position. Her arms were stretched out to her sides. Then, her head fell back and light broke through the ceiling and poured into her.

Koga felt Inuyasha standing next to him, but the wolf did not take his eyes off of his wife. The light seemed to shine both through her and around her. As much as it frightened him, he did not move. He wouldn't move. She was his wife and he would do anything for her.

Slowly, Kagome's head raised and her eyes opened. There were no pupils, just solid pink light coming from her eyes. She seemed to stare right through Koga.

Then, her body crumpled into a heap on the bed. The light vanished and the room was plunged into darkness.

No one said a word, though Koga could feel eyes upon him. Carefully, he approached the body and reached out with one hand. Before he could touch her, he heard Tsuyoi warn him, "Careful."

This was his wife. Koga had waited for five hundred years to be with her. He would not give up on her. With confidence, he placed a hand upon her back. The entire room seemed to gasp as he whispered, "Kagome?"

She stirred and Koga could feel a hopeful smile begin on his face. He called to her a bit louder, "Kagome."

She moaned and he released the breath he had been holding. He knelt next to the bed as he pressed his hand more firmly onto her back. He could feel her lungs taking in air and… her heartbeat. Her face was hidden by her hair and he gently brushed it away.

"Baby? Kagome, please, open your eyes," he coaxed.

And she did. Her blue pupils had returned and she stared at him. A smile slowly started to spread across her face. "Koga," she whispered.

He flashed her a wide, tooth-filled smile as he pulled her off of the bed and into his arms. He began laughing as he felt life flowing through her body. The stench of death had completely disappeared and she was alive and vibrant and… his.

She glanced up at all the people in the room and was confused. "Why are so many people in our bedroom?" she asked.

Koga pulled away from her only slightly, so he could meet her eyes. He explained to her about what had happened and how everyone thought she had died. He told her about how she had begun to glow and he had made a call to everyone because he hadn't known what to do.

She nodded slowly as she took in this information. She stared at a spot on the floor. "I wish I could tell you what had happened," she said. "Honestly, I don't know. One minute I was declaring my role as alpha female and the next I was…

"It was strange," she said. "It felt almost as though I was back inside the jewel, but I knew I wasn't. It was different. There was this light all around me and this whisper about fate and destiny. But I was alone."

She glanced up at him. "I called for you. I called for you and Inuyasha and Shippo. I cried when you did not come. But then I felt… I saw…" she glanced at Shippo and Inuyasha as she said, "I saw Sango and Miroku. They looked happy, peaceful. And I saw Kikyo. She wasn't hurt or sad. She was… heavenly."

Inuyasha did not say anything, but he gave a nod of his head to let her know that he understood.

"I saw Rin as well. And Kaede," she continued. Her gaze fell back onto Koga. "I also saw a bunch of other people that I did not recognize, but I knew they were good people."

Koga nodded and waited for her to continue. She did not disappoint. "No one said anything. They were just there as though they were waiting for something. Then, I felt this weird feeling, like I didn't belong there. I…"

She touched Koga's cheek. "I wanted to come home," she told him. "I missed you so much."

He smiled. "I'm glad you did, babe," he said with a catch in his voice.

She gave him a small smile. "I know what happened, now," she told him, as though the answer had just come to her. "I'm a priestess. My body could not accept demonic energy, so… it purified it."

Slowly, Kagome got to her feet, quickly followed by Koga. She swayed a bit and he caught her and helped her steady herself.

"So, what does it mean, Kagome?" Yuka asked.

The priestess gazed at her friend and shook her head. "I don't know," she replied honestly.

"Are you immortal?" Yuka questioned.

Kagome smiled as she nodded. "Very much so," she answered. "Probably even moreso."

"What does that mean?" Eri asked as she approached her friend.

Kagome shrugged. "I guess we'll have to find out, won't we?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** I couldn't keep y'all in panic mode. That would have been too cruel.


	30. Part 30

Koga rolled over to his side and stretched out a hand. He did not feel Kagome next to him and he smiled. Slowly he opened his eyes as he heard sounds from the kitchen. He could smell the eggs and other breakfast foods she was cooking, but more importantly, he could smell her.

They had decided to postpone the alpha ceremony for a few weeks while the girls and priestess became used to their immortal bodies. It was a good thing they did, too, because Ayumi and Yuka had sprouted tails seemingly overnight.

Koga sat up in bed and stretched some more. Today was the day he and Kagome were going to be anointed pack alphas. Though everyone in the pack already saw Koga as the alpha male, this celebration would solidify his place.

He trudged to the bathroom and took care of his business while brushing his teeth. (Kagome liked clean, fresh breath.) Once finished with that, he ran a comb through his hair and tucked some of it behind his ears. (Kagome liked it when his hair was down as opposed to up in a topknot.)

He walked back to the bedroom and searched through his closet for something appropriate to wear. While he would rather go without clothes, he knew others would not approve, including his wife. He settled on a pair of jeans and a blue polo. (He wanted to match Kagome's eyes.) He did not bother putting on shoes because he wasn't actually going anywhere.

As he walked into the kitchen, another scent caught his attention. He stopped as he sniffed the air. The scent was sweet and very lively. Curious, he followed the scent to Kagome. He sniffed her shoulder. He knew he had smelled the scent before, but he had no idea where. Nor did he have a clue as to what the scent was, but he did know that Kagome was covered in it.

She giggled at the feel of his nose against her shoulder. Goosebumps peppered her skin. "You're tickling me," she accused through her giggles.

He smirked as he glanced at the pan of fish on the stove. "Did you put on perfume for me?" he asked.

She shook her head as she laughed. "Why? Do I smell good?" she questioned as she turned the fish over.

He gave a single nod before hearing the front door open and close. He knew Ginta and his mate had come into the house. The smell of raw meat began to fill the air as the two people entered the kitchen. Ginta carried a large grocery bag filled with the meat while Ayumi was hugging a book against her chest.

"Where do you want this?" Ginta asked Kagome.

The priestess pointed to the back door as she frowned. "Do you think that will be enough meat?" she questioned dubiously.

The wolf shook his head. "There's more coming. I just couldn't carry it all," he told her.

She nodded as she patted her husband's arm. "Koga, get the door for him before he drops meat all over my floor," she ordered.

As Koga helped Ginta out the back door, Kizoku and Hakkaku entered the front door carrying two more bags of meat. Yuka followed the wolves and closed the door behind them. The girl wrinkled her nose. "What is that smell?" she inquired as she entered the kitchen.

Kagome indicated the fish she was cooking. "I was making Koga and me some breakfast. Would you like some?"

Ayumi gave a large smile. "I would _love_ some," she answered. "Ginta and I haven't eaten all morning. I'm starving!"

As the men took care of the meat out back, Kagome dished out some breakfast for herself and her two friends. Yuka sniffed at the food and tilted her head in confusion. She took a cautionary bite and, deciding the food was fine, began to eat.

The men reentered the house and joined the women. Kizoku snatched a bit of Yuka's food, despite her protest, and popped it in his mouth. "So, Kagome, you always make this much food for you and Koga?" he asked between chews.

Kagome shook her head. "I knew all of you were coming to help set up and figured you might want something to eat, so I made extra," she explained.

Ginta looked at the priestess curiously as Hakkaku sniffed the air. "What is that?" Hakkaku asked.

Koga watched as the wolf started to sniff around the kitchen, looking for the source of the smell. He did not know why, but when Hakkaku got close to Kagome, Koga growled a warning. For reasons he could not explain, the prince did not want any male near his woman.

Kizoku grinned. "So, Kagome, you got a bun in the oven?" he asked.

The priestess tilted her head and shook it. "I did not make any bread," she told him. "Did you want some?"

As Kizoku laughed, it slowly dawned on Koga where he had smelled that sweet smell from before. The wolf prince gazed at his wife. His eyes widened before a large smile formed on his face. He grabbed her around the waist, picked her up, and twirled her around.

Kagome, not knowing what was going on, gave a short shriek as her husband suddenly lifted her and popped him on the shoulders. "Would you put me down?" she demanded, though not viciously. She laughed, "What are you so happy about all of a sudden?"

Yuka and Ayumi caught on immediately and stared at their friend in shock and awe. "Kagome," Ayumi asked with a smile, "Kagome, are you pregnant?"

"What?" the priestess asked as she stared at her friend.

Her eyes went from Ayumi and Yuka to a laughing Kizoku before resting on Koga. Meeting his eyes, she saw the truth there. He gently set her down and held her as she processed the news.

She stared into his blue eyes before glancing down. She placed a hand upon her stomach and her eyes flew back up to his. "I'm pregnant," she whispered as a smile slowly started to spread across her face.

Tears welled up and fell from her eyes as Kagome threw her arms around Koga's neck. The wolf prince kissed his beautiful wife before letting out a howl of joy.

The other three wolves joined in on the howling. Ayumi tried to join and Yuka shook her head at the pitiful attempt. Some people just weren't meant to howl in Yuka's opinion and Ayumi was one of them.

Yuka sat back in her chair as she watched the wolves celebrate with Ayumi and Kagome. She was happy for her friend, truly she was. Kagome had mentioned having a family once before and Yuka was happy that her friend was able to do just that.

Yuka could hear more howling and she knew the news had reached the other wolves within the complex. While others were celebrating the news, Yuka wondered how Ayame and Inuyasha would take it. Through the past couple months, Yuka had slowly begun to trust Inuyasha, but he was Kagome's ex. News of her pending pregnancy had the potential of hitting him pretty hard. Yuka's real concern, though, was Ayame.

From the moment she had met the wolf, Yuka neither trusted nor liked Ayame. The bitch threatened Kagome's position and relationship. Not only that, but there was just something about Ayame that rubbed Yuka the wrong way.

Kizoku had told her time and again that she was imagining things, but Yuka knew better. In a community that relied heavily upon instinct, Yuka could not help but go with her gut feeling. She had been wrong about Koga and Inuyasha. In fact, there were a lot of things she had been wrong about, but this was not one of them and she knew it.

The dilemma Yuka faced was how to confront Ayame without upsetting Kagome and the pack. The girl had no doubt that Kizoku would stand by her regardless of the outcome. It was only expected of one's mate. But would Koga and Kagome be as forgiving? Would Tsuyoi?

Yuka wasn't given time to ponder all of this as the rest of the pack began entering the alpha home. She watched as many of the wolves congratulated the new parents, including Tsuyoi and Ayame. The girl did not miss the slight glare in Ayame's eyes nor the way Ayame showed just a bit too much teeth in her smile.

Inuyasha joined the celebration at some point in time and, while he seemed saddened by the news of Kagome's pregnancy, he was happy for her. He had given her a close, tight hug and shook Koga's hand.

For his part, Inuyasha's mind was in shambles. A part of him had always hoped Kagome would come back to him. Now, the truth forced itself upon him as he breathed the scent of her pregnancy. He could no longer deny it. So, he did the only thing he knew he could do. He wished the happy couple well and let them know that he would always be there for them if they needed him.

* * *

The alpha ceremony was held that night. The couple gave their vows to lead the pack with truth, honour, and justice. Incense and sake sealed their promise and they were accepted with tremendous applause and howling. Kagome announced the new members of the pack and Koga announced Kagome's pregnancy. Once the ceremony was complete, the celebration turned into a party as people danced, ate, and drank the night away.

Kagome bent down and picked up a beer bottle off the floor. She giggled, "One thing I can say about wolves. They do know how to party."

Koga glanced up at her as he dumped some paper plates into a garbage bag. He smiled. "Yes, we do," he agreed. "Don't worry, babe, you'll get used to it in time."

She nodded. "I look forward to it," she told him.

He paused for a moment to look at her again. He watched as she picked up beer bottles and paper plates. There was just something serene and graceful in the way she moved. There was a glow about her that did not come from her spiritual powers or any jewelry or gems.

He smiled as he thought about how lucky he had become in the manner of a year. Memories of their past flitted through his mind.

Koga had tried so hard back then win her heart. If he were honest with himself, it really had nothing to do with love at first. It was all about power. She could sense the Shikon no Tama. She was loyal, kind, and courageous. Her miko powers made even the toughest demon seem like a kitten. And she was beautiful.

Koga wasn't exactly sure when he had decided that his interest for her had turned into love. Perhaps it was some time after he declared her to be his woman? He shook his head. Maybe it was because he had declared her his woman. He didn't know. All he knew for certain was how much he loved her and how his love for her grew every single day.

The best part? She loved him back. Grant it, it took her five hundred years and him begging her to give him a chance, but she loved him. For Koga, it was a dream come true. And now, she was carrying his child.

"Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?" she asked suddenly, stirring him from his thoughts.

He shook his head a little to clear the fog. "Tsuyoi has girls," he replied.

"Is that what you want?" she asked as she looked at him.

He met her blue eyes and thought about it. Koga had always pictured himself with a litter of strapping sons. Staring into those beautiful blue eyes, however, he found that he wouldn't mind having girls as well. He shrugged and smiled. "I'll be happy with whatever you give me," he told her truthfully.

She flashed him a huge smile. "I've always wanted a little girl," she said as she picked up some more trash and put it in the garbage bag she had in her hands. "A boy would be nice, too. Perhaps one of each?" she suggested, giving him a coy smirk.

He winked at her. "We could do that," he told her. "How ever many you wish to bear me, we could have."

She giggled. "You know, it's not the woman who determines the sex of the child," she commented as she closed up the garbage bag, dropped it, and grabbed the broom. "She determines the number of children born in one pregnancy, but the man determines the sex."

He nodded. This was not anything new to him, and he expected she knew that. She was just making conversation. He loved hearing her voice. He smirked.

"So, you're saying that if you want to have one or four children at once, then you will?" he questioned.

She gave him a wide-eyed stare. "No!" she quickly replied. "What I meant was…"

"I know what you meant," he interrupted chuckling.

She gave him a reprimanding glare before joining in his laughter. They continued to joke with one another as they finished cleaning the house. Wolves knew how to party, but they were also quite messy.

Around 4:30, Koga decided to call it a night as he searched for his quiet wife. He found her asleep on the couch. He watched her sleep for a moment before picking her up and carrying her to bed.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ya know, for a story that was meant to only be a couple chapters long, 10 at the most, this story sure is taking it's dearly beloved time... Though, I highly doubt any of you have any complaints about that.


	31. Part 31

Koga led his blindfolded wife into the bedroom. He had been working on it for weeks and he knew she was going to flip. If she hadn't peeked, that is.

They had decided not to find out the sex of the child. The soon-to-be parents wanted to be surprised. Besides, it was like Koga said, "We're gonna love it anyway, right?"

The baby shower had been unexpected, at least on Koga's part. The wolf actually felt a little put out when he saw all the things everyone else had gotten the baby. (It had been a surprise for Kagome, too, actually. Ayumi and Eri had planned the entire thing without her knowledge.) So, to make up for it, Koga decided he would do something no one else could do.

Koga led his wife into the center of the room and stopped. "Wait right here," he told her as he dashed around her to turn on the lights. He turned to look at her and smiled. "You can take the blindfold off now."

Kagome giggled as she tugged at the piece of cloth. "Koga, you really are…"

Her breath caught as she gazed around the room. A soft shade of green covered the walls and the floor was wooden with white rugs. The crib her mother had bought sat against one wall while the basinet sat opposite of it. There was a white dresser next to both the basinet and crib.

The toy chest was under the window and was held open with the toys peeking out of it. There was a white bookcase leaning against the wall next to a white rocking chair. The bookcase was filled with the various story and picture books people had given them. On the other side of the rocking chair was a nightstand with the Winnie-the-Pooh lamp that Yuka and Kizoku bought.

The draperies, pillows, sheets, and blankets were the same shade of green as the walls. In the middle of the room was a ceiling fan with a dome shaped light in the middle of it. The two cords that hung from it had Winnie-the-Pooh and Eeyore danglers.

There were pictures on the walls; one over the basinet, one over the dresser by the crib, and one over the rocking chair. Each picture depicted various Winnie-the-Pooh characters doing random things.

Koga stepped into the room and put his hands on his hips. "If you don't like the Winnie-the-Pooh stuff, I can change it," he told Kagome. "I figured that once the child got older…"

His sentence was cut short as the miko threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately on the lips. He let his hands slide around her waist as he returned her kiss with just as much enthusiasm. He lifted on hand to cup her jaw as she buried her fingers in his hair.

Gently, he broke the kiss and smirked at her. "I'll take that to mean you like the room?" he inquired.

Her smile was dazzling as she turned in his embrace. "It's wonderful," she gasped, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I wasn't even expecting… This is what you've been up to."

He nodded and kissed her shoulder, to which she giggled. "I wanted to give you something special," he breathed against her skin.

She turned back around to look him in the eyes. "But you all ready have, Koga," she told him, touching his cheek. "You gave me a child, a home, a family… You gave me you."

He smiled. He never thought he'd be the recipient of the love that shone in her eyes. As he bent down to kiss her again, he couldn't help but think, _"And you gave me yourself. I'll never be able to repay you for that gift."_

* * *

Kagome took a deep breath and pulled back on the bow. As she released her breath, she released the string and the arrow that was with it. Her miko powers were as strong as ever as she hit her target with a perfect sealing spell. She dropped the hand that held the bow and sighed.

It wouldn't be long now before she had the baby. She knew the wolves were starting to get excited. Koga had started taking half of the day off from work and was constantly calling to check up on her. Yuka, Ayumi, and Eri were constantly at the house helping Kagome with every little chore.

The priestess liked the help and concern, but she had to admit it was a little… smothering? She finally got so tired of it that when her friends offered to join her for her archery practice, she threatened to purify all of them.

She took another arrow out of her quiver and set it against the bow. With careful aim, she fired the arrow at her target. She loved the feel of the pure energy coursing through her body as she fired one arrow after the other.

"Careful," said a masculine voice she knew only too well. "You don't wanna purify the baby."

She rolled her eyes and smiled as she turned her head to see Inuyasha walking up to her. "What are you doing here?" she asked as the hanyou stopped next to her.

He raised an eyebrow. "The girls inside are frightened that you might purify them if they come out to check on you. So, I came out instead."

"That's highly chivalrous of you," she commented with a hint of sarcasm. "But that's not what I meant. I thought you were helping your brother with that new American deal?"

He shrugged as he sat down on the grass. "He's doin' fine without me," he said. He glanced up at her. "How are you doing? I haven't seen you since the baby shower."

Kagome sighed. As she moved to join him on the grass, she grunted. He held a hand out to help her. Once she was comfortable, she replied, "Everything has been wonderful. The entire community has really stepped up to help prepare for the arrival of Kei. I think Koga is slowly losing his mind, though. He keeps reading all these books about being a first time father and they have him worried that he won't be good at it."

"Kei?" the hanyou questioned.

Kagome gave a soft chuckle. "We don't know if it's a boy or a girl," she explained, "So we call 'it' Kei for now."

He nodded. He played with a blade of grass. "Koga shouldn't be worried," he said, not looking at her. "Somehow I doubt he's going to suck at fatherhood all that much. You'll always be there to pick up his slack anyway."

Kagome stopped and looked at her friend. "Inuyasha," she responded softly, "that is probably the nicest thing I've ever heard you say about Koga."

"Keh," he replied with a shrug. "Don't get too used to it. I still think that mangy wolf is useless."

She gasped and he looked up. It amazed her how, after all these years, there was still animosity between Inuyasha and Koga. She wondered if it would ever truly end. "He's good to me," she claimed in Koga's defense.

"I never said he wasn't," Inuyasha pointed out before looking away from her again. "It just sucks that he's the one. It should have been me."

This made the miko angry. Inuyasha watched as she struggled to stand up. As he moved to help her, she slapped his hands away. "I can do it on my own!" she snapped.

It took her a moment to stand up straight and balance herself. The hanyou was standing by her, waiting for the moment when she would lose her balance. She glared at him. "Five hundred years, Inuyasha!" she snarled. "You had five hundred years to proclaim whatever it is you wanted to proclaim."

"I know…"

"No! You will let me finish!" she interrupted him. "I loved you. I wanted you! It wasn't until later that I found out that you were talking to me on the fucking internet the entire time. I had to endure your brother bitching me out because I had no idea where you were."

"Kagome," he whispered as he touched her shoulders.

She snatched her body away from his. "Don't touch me," she hissed. "What do you want from me, Inuyasha? I gave you everything. I would have given you everything. _You_ chose not to seek me out. _You_ chose to pretend I was dead. You…"

Her words were stopped as Inuyasha grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. Before she could protest, he whispered into her ear, "Stay here."

Just as quickly as he had grabbed her, Inuyasha let go and jumped away from her and out of the backyard. Kagome stood there puzzled for a moment. What…?

As she turned around, she saw a large, gaping hole in the ground. Where did that come from? She hadn't even heard an explosion.

She glanced up to see Ayumi and Eri running towards her. "Oh, God, Kagome! Are you ok?" Ayumi asked, tears streaking down her face.

The priestess nodded as Eri checked her over for any injuries. "Koga's on his way," the girl explained. "And Yuka and Inuyasha are tracking down that bitch."

Kagome touched Eri's arm. "What bitch? What just happened?" she inquired, her confusion mounting.

The girls glanced at one another before Eri answered, "Ayame just tried to kill you."

She pointed to the ground where the hole was. "That was some sort of spell that she had learned when she lived up in the mountains," Eri explained. "She had told Tsuyoi what she had planned, but he didn't believe her at first."

"Not until Ayame was already out of the house and halfway down the street, that is," Ayumi stated.

Eri nodded. "I really think she was aiming for the baby, though," the girl said as she lifted Kagome's shirt. "Shippo said that… oh God."

"What?" Kagome asked as she glanced down at her stomach.

Blood was pouring out of two small, bullet shaped holes in her belly. Kagome fainted.


	32. Part 32

Kagome slowly opened her eyes. A bright light nearly blinded her and she quickly closed them again. She moaned in pain.

"Kagome," whispered a voice.

She felt a hand touch her arm. She turned her head towards the sound of the voice and risked opening her eyes again. The world slowly drew into focus as her eyes settled on Koga. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Wha… What happened? Where am I?" she asked hoarsely.

Koga gave a sigh of relief. He was so worried that she wouldn't wake. "We're in the hospital," he told her.

As she nodded, he took her hands into his and kissed them. She watched him curiously and noticed the dried tracks of tears on his face. In fact, his entire face was red and his eyes were puffy and bloodshot. His hair was frazzled and looked as though he had been pulling at it. Even his clothes were disheveled.

It slowly occurred to her that he was holding her hands, which were clasped over her flat stomach. For some reason, that did not look right to her. Why was her stomach flat? Realization dawned on her instantly and she jumped.

"My baby!" she shouted as she tried to get out of the bed.

Koga grabbed her by the shoulders and stopped her. "It's ok," he reassured her. "The baby is fine. The doctors were able to save him."

To say that she was relieved was an understatement. As she sank back into the bed, she remembered the events. Well, at least the ones she had been awake for. "What about Ayame? Did you find her? Why did she attack me? And why didn't Inuyasha or myself sense her before it was too late?"

He moved to sit on the bed next to her. He took her hands into his and stared at them. "Ayame… she's not going to be a problem anymore," he told her.

Kagome gasped. "What do you mean?" she asked.

He glanced up at her eyes before looking back down at their joined hands. "One thing you have to remember about us is that, well, we are demons," he explained softly. "Essentially, we are beefed up, buffed up wolves that have the ability to communicate with and walk among humans. But, at the end of the day, we are still wolves."

The priestess frowned. She did not like where this was going. She did not say anything, however, and allowed him to continue.

"I don't think there was a wolf in that complex that wasn't pissed at Ayame for what she did," he whispered. "Inuyasha and Yuka did not have to go far to find her. I…"

Kagome looked at him sadly. "She's dead, isn't she?" she inquired when he did not seem willing to finish his statement.

He continued to stare at their hands as he nodded. "Not just dead," he said hesitantly. "They ripped her apart before Inuyasha and Yuka even got to her."

The priestess did not know why, but she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. It was such a waste. "What about Tsuyoi? How are he and the girls handling it?" she asked.

Koga snorted. "Tsuyoi was the one who led the attack," he replied. "Apparently, he had been trying to talk her out of it, had warned her of the consequences, but she didn't listen. They were fighting when she ran out of the house and towards our home."

She nodded. "Did she give a reason as to why she wanted to attack me?" she inquired.

The wolf shrugged and looked up at the window. "She told Tsuyoi that she did not think our pack needed hanyous living within it," he told her. He made a click with his tongue, "I'm not sure if that's entirely the case, though. She had always been jealous of you, your skills as a priestess, and the fact that I am in love with you."

The mention of hanyous brought Kagome's thoughts back to their child. "The baby. What happened to the baby?" she asked.

He waved a hand at the hospital door. "We rushed you to the hospital. There was so much blood and I feared she had managed to harm him. The doctors did an immediate C-section, but he was fine. Healthy. Not only had she missed him, but he is perfect," he explained as he gazed into his wife's eyes.

The priestess smiled. "We have a boy," she stated. "Can I see him?"

Koga nodded as he stood up and helped her to a standing position. "The doctor said we can leave whenever you are ready to," he said as he helped her get dressed and led her out of the hospital room.

They found the baby in the waiting room with several other people. Kagome's mother, grandfather, and brother were all there along with Inuyasha, her friends, and many members of the pack. Tsuyoi approached the miko and looked down, avoiding her gaze.

"I want to apologize for my former wife's behaviour," he began.

Kagome touched the wolf's shoulder. "There is no need," she assured him. "You cannot be faulted for something she decided to do on her own. And I do not hold you responsible."

He glanced at her and nodded. "Thank you, Kagome-sama," he breathed.

She continued further into the room until she stood before her mother. Wrapped in a soft green blanket was the baby. Kagome held her breath as her mother placed the child in her arms.

Large, blue eyes stared up at Kagome. Black hair covered the top of his head. Koga had been right. He was perfect.

"Just so you know," Inuyasha said as he looked at the mother and child. "I don't know exactly what happened, but the moment when Ayame attacked you, a blue light encompassed your entire body. Not sure if you saw it or not. I think that boy was trying to protect you."

The priestess laughed. "My hero!" she giggled. She stared down at the little boy. "I think that's what we'll name you. You'll be Yusha."

She glanced up at Koga and he nodded with approval. Yusha gave a huge yawn and closed his little eyes as he fell asleep.

* * *

The sound of a screaming baby greeted Koga as he entered the house. He threw his keys in the tray by the door and walked further in, followed by Kizoku. They found Kagome in the baby's room trying to change his diaper.

Kizoku wrinkled his nose. "I am so glad Yuka is not pregnant. I can't imagine coming home to that sound every day," he commented as he glanced about the room.

Koga kissed his wife on the cheek and patted Yusha's head. "I wouldn't trade it for the world," he answered.

Kagome smiled. "That's because you know how to spoil a lady and her baby," she joked.

Once the diaper was on, Kagome picked the child up and handed him over to Koga. "I hope taking him isn't an inconvenience," she said. "My mother has been talking about this silly convention all week and I fear she might have an anxiety attack if I don't go with her."

The wolf chief held his son proudly. "It's never an inconvenience to take care of my boy," he told her. "You go and have fun with your mother. Kizoku and I have to teach this young prince manly things."

Kagome snorted as she went into the bathroom and washed her hands. "Well, he's been fed, so he should be fine for the next few hours. There's an extra bottle in the refrigerator and I fixed his diaper bag in case you decide to take him out," she explained.

As he nodded, the intercom next to the door buzzed. Katsu's voice came through the speaker, "Kagome-sama, your mother is here."

"Hai," she replied, "You can send her in. I'm just going over a few things with Koga."

Koga raised an eyebrow. He watched as Kagome flitted around the living room. Yusha began playing with Koga's hair. "Hey, babe, you know, I have everything under control," he said as he tugged at the lock of hair Yusha was chewing on. "I've got this."

She took a deep breath and released it. "Right," she relented. A knock at the door signaled her mother's approach. Kagome touched Yusha's head and kissed Koga lightly on the lips. "You two have fun."

Koga nodded as he watched his wife leave. Once he was sure the car was down the street, he took a breath of relieve and sat down on the couch. Kizoku laughed.

"I swear, bro, that girl is wrapped up way too tight," he said as he plopped down in the armchair.

Koga sniffed. "She's just tired," he responded. "Between all that shit with Ayame and the baby being born, she hasn't had a real chance to rest or relax."

Kizoku nodded. "And that is why I am never having kids," he pointed out. "You and Tsuyoi can have 'em all."

The wolf chief chuckled. "You say that now," he argued. "But just wait. Yuka will get pregnant. Then you'll have your own little brood of pups."

Kizoku made an unpleasant face. "That bitch lied to me," he growled.

The sudden change in Kizoku's mood alarmed Koga as he gave his brother a concerned look. "What happened? Is there something I can do?"

The wolf rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Always trying to fix things, Koga," he huffed. "But I doubt there is anything you can do unless you know how to get a bitch horny."

Koga smirked. "Ah," he said knowingly. "Problems in the bedroom, I take it?"

Kizoku snorted. "That's an understatement," he growled. "She told me when I mated with her that we'd have sex every night. Then, last night, she kicked me outta the bedroom! What gives?"

Koga shrugged as he pulled his hair out of Yusha's mouth again. "Women are strange creatures," he commented wisely. "And their odd habits aren't always the easiest to decipher. Perhaps you did or said something she didn't like?"

"Who knows?" Kizoku sighed. "She still lied to me."

The chief raised an eyebrow. He growled at his brother, "Quit your whinin', Kiz. You should be happy she puts up with your sorry ass. Ever think she might be worried about getting pregnant herself? You've already stated you didn't want kids. Maybe she's in heat and wants to keep you away to prevent a child from happening."

Kizoku glared at Koga. "Word of advice, Yusha," he commented, "don't have any younger brothers. They ain't nothin' but spoiled brats."

Koga smirked. "A spoiled brat with a wife and baby," he teased.

Koga stood up and stretched. "We should probably get goin' if we wanna make the game on time," he said with a yawn.

Kizoku nodded as he followed his brother towards the front door. "Don't forget the diaper bag," he commented.

"Oh! Right!"

Kizoku shook his head as he waited for his brother to run back into the house to grab the bag.

* * *

Kizoku leaned against the door frame as he watched Koga change the baby's diaper. "Hey, Koga, you sure you know what you're doin'?"

He never thought he'd hear Koga's voice sound so… childish as the wolf chief, in all his chief pride, blew raspberries at Yusha and cooed. The wolf bit back a laugh.

"Changing a diaper is easy," Koga said to Kizoku in his normal voice. He switched back to his baby voice as he addressed his son, "Isn't that right, Yusha? Who's a good boy? Is Yusha a…"

His sentence was cut off as Yusha peed in Koga's face. That time, Kizoku _did_ laugh.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry, I had to add that bit at the end. It always cracks me up when this big macho guy is baby talking with his infant child and then the child pees on him. Never fails.


	33. Part 33

**Author's Note:** A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far away... Tassana actually posted a new chapter! Seriously. Been going through a motivation lag. Sorry, guys. Although, I will say we're getting close to the end here. Hope y'all enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Kagome stared at the target in the backyard. Her eyes narrowed as she lifted her bow and pointed it at the target. It may have been years since she had really used a bow, but she was confident that she could hit her mark.

She took a deep breath and pulled the string back. As she released her breath, she released the arrow. It was a perfect bull's eye. She raised an eyebrow as she took another arrow out of her quiver and did it again.

She approached the target and stared at the two arrows for a moment. The second arrow had split the first arrow in two. Kagome pinched her lips together.

She pulled the arrows out of the target and walked back to her practice spot. Taking another arrow from her quiver, she lined it up and shot the arrow. It was another bull's eye. "Hm," she mumbled.

She turned and walked back into the house.

* * *

Koga watched as his wife played with her food. He raised an eyebrow. "Everything all right, babe?" he asked.

She glanced up at him in surprise. "What?" she asked. "Oh, yes. The dinner is great."

He chuckled. "It should be. You cooked it," he pointed out. "But that's not what I was talking about. You looked as though you were in another place. And you've barely touched your meal. You ok?"

Kagome sighed as she glanced at her food. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "I was practicing with my bow and arrows earlier and something strange happened."

He felt a cold shiver down his spine. Koga knew his wife was a powerful miko and oftentimes, though he knew she'd never do anything to him, he felt a twinge of fear at this information. He hesitated before asking, "What happened?"

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I'm not sure," she told him.

She stood up from the table and brought her plate to the sink. Koga immediately protested, "Wait! If you're not going to eat that, I'll take it. No point in wasting food."

Kagome gave a soft snort as she brought the plate to him. Taking Yusha out of his high chair, she began walking to the baby's room. Koga stared at the food in front of him forlornly for a moment before getting up and following his wife.

He leaned against the door frame and folded his arms as he watched her change the baby's clothes and clean the food off of his face. Koga did not like seeing his wife so troubled.

"Do you think your powers might be waning?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Maybe," she said as she placed a clean Yusha in Koga's arms. "But I don't think so. I feel… stronger."

At the tilt of Koga's head, Kagome waved him to the back door. "Come. I'll show you what I mean."

Koga held his cooing son as he followed his wife to the backyard. He kept a safe distance from her as he watched her pick up her bow and arrow. Her miko powers glowed a bright pink around her. His eyes widened as she released the arrow and hit the target at a perfect bull's eye.

She turned and looked at him. "See?" she asked.

He nodded. "You have gotten stronger," he whispered. "I've never seen miko powers that great before."

She sighed. "What does it mean?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I wish I could tell you, babe, but… I have no idea."

* * *

As they reentered the house, they heard the front door open and shut. "Koga?" called Kizoku.

"Back here!" Koga shouted.

Kagome met her brother-in-law midway. Her eyes widened at his frazzled appearance. "Are you ok?" she asked, placing a hand on his arm.

He ran a hand through his unkempt hair. "I could really use a beer. Ya got any?"

She led him into the kitchen and as he sat on one of the barstools, Koga handed him a beer. "What's goin' on?" the wolf chief asked in concern.

Kizoku shook his head as he opened his beer and took a long pull. "Found out why Yuka's been avoiding me."

The married couple shared a look before turning their attentions back to the disheveled wolf. Kizoku took a deep breath before revealing what he had feared, "She's pregnant."

It took a moment for the news to sink in. Koga's lips widened in a cocky smirk. "So, you're gonna be a father, huh?" he chuckled.

"Congratulations," Kagome whispered, though no smile broke over her face.

Kizoku wrinkled his nose as he glanced at Koga. "This cannot be happening to me. We used protection! I don't get it."

Koga shrugged. "That stuff ain't foolproof, ya know. And with you two goin' at it like rabbits, she was bound to get knocked up."

"Koga!" Kagome hissed. "Don't be so crude."

Kizoku looked miserable as he stared at his beer. "I'm not ready to be a father."

"I didn't think I was either," the chief admitted. "But then, Yusha was born. Fatherhood is hard, I'll admit, but it's got its rewards."

Yusha squirmed in his father's arms as he tried to reach over the counter to Kizoku. Koga shifted the young wolf, but Yusha continued to squirm. Finally, the chief gave up and tried to hand Yusha to Kagome. The child burst out in tears.

Kizoku glanced up. "What's wrong with him?" he asked.

Kagome shook her head as she took her son, who was now fighting her to get back to Koga. "He does this sometimes," she informed the wolf.

Koga took the child and Yusha immediately began to try and get to Kizoku. When Koga pulled him away, Yusha cried again. Koga sniffed. "I think he wants you, Kizoku," he stated as he placed the child on the counter.

Yusha crawled over to Kizoku and grabbed a handful of Kizoku's hair. As soon as he took Kizoku's hair, he tried to stuff it into his own mouth.

"Yusha!" Kagome reprimanded as Kizoku fought to get his hair back. She popped the child's hand. "You do not put people's hair in your mouth!"

The baby started crying as Kagome picked him up. "I think it's time for your nap," she told him.

As Kagome left the room, Koga went to the refrigerator and grabbed himself a beer. He popped it open, took a swig, and glanced at his brother. "You're really nervous about this, huh?" he asked.

Kizoku sighed and swept his hand through his hair. "I just don't know what I'm going to do," he admitted. "I don't know how to be a father. What if I screw it up?"

Koga pinched his lips together. Shaking his head, he said, "I'll be honest. I thought the same thing when Kagome was pregnant. But I don't think either of us will screw up. I mean, our parents were good. Taught us the right stuff. And we'll teach our kids the right stuff."

Kizoku glanced at his brother. "How do we know what's right anymore?" he questioned. "Our parents taught us that humans were supposed to be a source of food. Not potential mates."

"So, times change," the chief said with a shrug. "And we've evolved. We'll teach our kids that humans aren't food. We'll teach them to look for other sources of food and to coexist with humans."

The wolf shook his head. "I'm gonna be a horrible father," he said as he buried his face in his hands.

Koga's eyes narrowed and he pulled his brother's arm out from under his head. "Stop that," he growled. "Kid's not even born yet and you're acting like a pussy. Wolf up and take some responsibility. You got the bitch pregnant, now deal with it. Stop actin' like it's the end of the world."

The older wolf glared at his sibling. He knew the chief was right, and he hated it. Whether he wanted it or not, Kizoku was going to be a father. There was no point in beating himself up over it.

They sat in silence as they both thought about their own problems. Finally, Koga spoke up, "Kagome's powers have grown."

Kizoku looked at the chief curiously and waited for him to continue. Instead, Koga stared at his older brother in askance. Kizoku tilted his head. "What does that mean?"

Koga shook his head and his face crinkled in confusion. "I don't know. I've never seen anything like that before. I was hoping you could give me some advice or information or… something."

"I don't know anything about miko powers," Kizoku stated. "Maybe you should talk to that hanyou she hangs out with? Didn't he date a miko? He might know something about it."

Koga sneered at his beer bottle. "I hate asking that mutt anything," he growled.

"Regardless," the wolf said, "you might have to. Like I said, I don't know anything about miko powers and I doubt you'll find anyone in this pack who does."

Koga snapped his fingers. "Shippo might," he said. "He used to live with that priestess in Edo. Maybe she told him something."

Kizoku shrugged. "Maybe," he agreed.

* * *

Shippo laid the cards out across the table. "Read 'em and weep," he said with a smirk.

The three wolves that sat with him at the table stared at the cards in shock and dismay. Hakkaku's bottom lip trembled as he stammered, "H-h-how did you do that?"

The fox shrugged as Eri placed another beer in front of him and took his empty bottle. "Years of playin' against Americans can teach ya a few things," he said.

Eri smiled. "Shippo was a Poker champion out in Las Vegas," she told the wolves proudly. "He won a lot of money that way."

Katsu threw his cards on the table. "Well, that's it for me," he said. "I'm outta money and outta patience with this fox."

"Aw, don't be like that, Katsu. Here, I'll lend ya some money," Shippo offered as he handed the wolf the money he had won from him.

The wolf's eyes narrowed. "I think you're having too much fun with this, kit," he growled.

Shippo laughed as he reclined in his chair and folded his hands behind his head. "Can't help it. When you're good, you're good," he said smugly.

The front door opened at that moment and Koga walked in. Shippo immediately stood up, knocking chips and money all over the table. The three wolves sat up as well.

"Shippo, I need to talk to you," Koga stated.

The fox held his hands up in surrender. "I didn't cheat," he assured the wolf. "I played fair and square."

Koga raised an eyebrow as he approached the fox. "That's not why I'm here," he said. "But, now that you mention it…"

The chief grabbed the fox's arms and pulled the sleeve down. A small stash of aces of spades fell out of his sleeve. The three wolves began to protest in anger before Koga silenced them with a wave of his hand.

"Take your money back and get out," the chief growled.

The wolves were quick to do his bidding as Shippo watched in despair. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew Koga was angry. Or… no. Shippo had seen that look in Koga's eyes before. The wolf was worried about something.

Once the other wolves were gone, Koga released Shippo's arm. His expression softened. "Sorry about that," he said to the fox. "I didn't want those guys freaking out."

Shippo's eyebrows furrowed. "About what?"

Koga glanced up to the woman standing in the kitchen. "You got any more beer left?" he asked.

She nodded and quickly went to grab him a beer in the refrigerator. As the chief sat at the table, Shippo followed his movements. Eri joined the men.

Koga sighed. "You used to live with a priestess, right?" he asked.

Shippo shrugged. "I used to live in a village with a priestess."

"Yeah, but you were around her a lot," Koga said. "So, you learned a lot about the ways of a priestess and such, right?"

The fox glanced at his mate and then back at the wolf. "What's going on?" he asked. "Is Kagome ok?"

"She was practicing her bow today and her powers became stronger. Know anything about that?" the chief asked before taking a swig of his drink.

Shippo cocked his head to the side. "Wait," he questioned. "Her powers grew stronger _as_ she was practicing?"

Koga shook his head. "No, they were already stronger. Like, she had become stronger or something."

"Hm," the fox thought as he rubbed his chin. "I've heard of a miko's powers growing _with_ practice, but never _before_ practice. Maybe they've been growing and she didn't notice?"

"No, you don't understand," Koga said. "Even before she shot the arrow, her powers engulfed her. It was like this huge sphere of pink light surrounded her. It was… strange."

Shippo thought about this some more before shaking his head. "I really don't know what to tell you."

"Think Inuyasha would know? He dated that other priestess, right?" Koga asked.

"He did date Kikyo," Shippo confirmed. "But he won't know the answer to your question. Kikyo was losing her powers when they were together, not gaining them. The only one I can think of who might know died a long time ago."

Koga leaned back in his chair. "It's got her scared," he whispered. "Hell, it's got me scared. She was barely trained back then. If she's unable to control these new powers…"

Shippo nodded. He hated the thought of Kagome accidentally hurting someone. He knew that if it was a fear of his, it would definitely be a fear of hers.

"What about Sesshomaru?" Eri piped in. The two men looked at her, so she continued, "Everyone around here likes to talk about how he's so powerful and so knowledgeable. Maybe he would know something? Or, if not, he might know someone who would know something. It wouldn't hurt to ask."

Though he hated to admit it, Shippo knew Eri was right. It seemed like Sesshomaru was their only option.

* * *

**Another Note:** I promise I will _try_ to not take so long this time.


End file.
